The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) launched a large-scale enforcement operation in the early hours of Tuesday, 21st April 2026, apprehending 606 undocumented individuals across several areas in the Ashanti regional capital.

The tactical sweep, which commenced under the cover of darkness at 3:30 a.m., was designed to address the soaring number of foreign nationals engaged in street begging, a phenomenon that local authorities and residents claim has reached a breaking point in terms of public nuisance and urban sanitation.

Led by the Ashanti Regional Commander of the GIS, DCOI Fred Amankwa, the operation concluded by 5:00 a.m.

Specialised teams focused on a corridor of Kumasi known for high-density informal settlements and street-side encampments, including: Asawase, Alabar, Akwatia Line, Dagomba Line, Sabon Zongo and Aboabo.

Of the 606 individuals detained, the demographic breakdown paints a startling picture of the scale of the migration challenge: 381 are children, 72 are adult females, and 153 are adult males.

This latest crackdown comes exactly two years after a similar mass repatriation exercise involving Nigerien nationals.

Despite that effort, many of the same individuals have reportedly filtered back into the country via porous borders, returning to the same street corners in Kumasi.

For years, residents have lobbied the government for a permanent solution, citing heightened concerns"over the loss of public spaces and the rapid deterioration of sanitary conditions in the affected suburbs. Many community leaders argue that the influx has strained local resources and created a perpetual state of public nuisance that standard municipal laws have failed to curb.

Immediately following the raid, the GIS coordinated a massive logistics effort to transport all 606 detainees to Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.

The facility there will serve as a central screening hub where officials will work to establish the true identities and nationalities of the individuals.

While the GIS has not yet officially confirmed a timeline for repatriation, the Ashanti Regional Command has indicated that the exercise is part of a broader strategy to restore order to Kumasi’s streets.