The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has reaffirmed his ministry’s dedication to removing beggars and rough sleepers from major cities across the country.

During an official visit to the Northern Region, the minister disclosed that his ministry, in partnership with the security services, is preparing to launch a nationwide operation focusing on five major cities, including Tamale.

Speaking on Thursday, 22 May, at the commissioning of a newly completed four-storey, 24-unit apartment block constructed by the State Housing Company for the Ghana Immigration Service in Tamale, Muntaka reiterated the government’s commitment to restoring order and decency to urban areas.

He revealed that a recent operation in Accra had resulted in the arrest of more than 2,000 foreign beggars, nearly half of whom have already been repatriated. He added that the remaining individuals are expected to be processed and removed by the end of the week.

The minister also issued a firm warning to sex workers openly operating on the streets, stating that they too would be removed and returned to their countries of origin.

The MP for Asawase advised those involved to leave voluntarily or face forced removal by the authorities.

“The beggars are not a nuisance but a threat to our national security. By the close of this week, we should be able to finish removing all of them. I can assure the rest of them that they either return to where they are coming from, because very soon, we are coming after all of them, including the prostitutes who are parading on almost all our streets. We will not rest on our oars, we will go after them until we remove all of them,” he warned.