Immigration officers at Juaso in the Asante Akim South District of the Ashanti Region have arrested 20 Nigeriens for unlawful entry into Ghana.

The Daily Guide newspaper reports that spokesperson of the Ashanti Region Immigration Command, Bernice Amponsah, has explained that the foreigners were referred to the Command from the Ashanti Akyem South Municipality through the Ashanti Akyem police and the Konongo immigration.

“Ongoing investigations revealed that they came from Sunyani to sell their local herbal medicines. Residents, however, raised alarm following fears of the recent outbreak and the spread of the coronavirus,” the newspaper quoted the spokesperson of the Ashanti Region Immigration Command.

The 20 foreigners include eight females, 11 males and a toddler, the newspaper revealed.

“The foreign nationals have been screened by health officials in the Ashanti Region as concerns over the deadly coronavirus pandemic grow in the Juaso community.

“It is gathered that four out of the 20 foreigners were able to produce their travel certificates which did not even permit them to work or stay in Ghana, while the remaining 16 had only Nigerrien identity cards,” the paper reported.

The Immigration Command also added that the Nigerien nationals are being detained because their activity was in contradiction to the law which demands that the sale of Medicine must be permitted by the Food and Drugs Authority.

“As I speak to you, there are directives to process them for repatriation. Upon screening, the four of them who had the travel certificates are still kept here because they are all being processed for repatriation. The certificates they had on them does not permit them to sell or to work in Ghana and those who had the identity cards, by law it does not give them entry because it is not a travel document”, officers told Accra-based Citi FM.

The residents of Juaso were commended for reporting the foreigners to the right authorities.

Citizens in other parts of the country have been urged to immediately report to the Ghana Immigration Service if they suspect that foreigners may be in the country illegally or engaged in activities that flout the law.