Immigration officials at Gwollu, a small town in the Upper West Region, have apprehended some Burkina Faso nationals who had travelled to Ghana through the unapproved routes.

In a press release, the immigration revealed that the first group of Burkinabes captured on June 9, at 12:18, were seized onboard a Hyundai bus with registration number GS-4763-12 heading to Wa, the regional capital.

The 19 migrants, consisting of 13 males and six females, travelled through unapproved routes on the Gwollu stretch in Sissala West, the district sharing a border with Burkina Faso.

“Their ages ranged between eight and 58. Our investigations revealed that the migrants were economic migrants journeying to Ghana for farming and other labourer activities,” the statement signed by the PRO of the Immigration office Asst. Insp. Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul Mumin Seidu read.

Later in the day at 14:14, the officers again arrested seven more Burkina Faso nationals who were also travelling into the country illegally through unapproved routes on the Hamile stretch.

“They were fished out of Ghanaian passengers onboard a metro mass transit bus enroute Sunyani. The all-male immigrants were repatriated through the Hamile Border Post.”

The Immigration stated that the nationals were screened by health professionals and later handed over to Burkina Faso authorities on the other side of the border.

They urged the public to aid the Immigration officials and border security to clamp down on irregular, undocumented or prohibited migration.

“The public is therefore reminded that the Presidential directive on our land borders closure remains effective. Coupled with the strict enforcement of the border closure, irregular migration remains illegal.

"Anyone who's caught facilitating the  activities of irregular migration would suffer the consequences.”