The Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has called for a more compassionate and collaborative approach to the ongoing crackdown on organised street begging, currently being undertaken by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

His remarks come in the wake of a coordinated operation in Accra, which led to the arrest of over 2,200 foreign nationals—many of whom were children.

Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV on Saturday, 17th May, Mr Toobu urged the authorities to go beyond mere enforcement and ensure that individuals, particularly vulnerable groups, are treated with dignity during the process of repatriation.

“It is not just a matter of arresting them. We should arrest them, we should treat them humanely,” he emphasised.

Mr Toobu also advocated for stronger cooperation between Ghana and the countries of origin of those affected—especially within the ECOWAS sub-region—to guarantee that repatriation efforts are carried out responsibly.

“When repatriating them, we should begin to look at collaboration between our country and the country of origin. If you are taking them back, will you ensure that our borders are tight enough for them not to come back? Will you ensure that their country of origin accepts and treats them well?” he queried.

Underscoring the need to uphold the dignity of street children regardless of nationality, Mr Toobu appealed for a regional approach to supporting their welfare and development.

“These are children we are all trying to support for them to grow to become responsible citizens in the ECOWAS sub-region. It is a joint project and we need to collectively appreciate the fact that we are dealing with humanity,” he concluded.