In the past few years, we have tolerated the nuisance created by the rising number of migrant beggars from Niger into the country.
While being conscious about ECOWAS protocols to which Ghana is a signatory, we would be quick to add that this arrangement does not allow for such a nuisance anyway. Indeed, the protocols envisage productive activities by citizens of member countries. In any case, Niger, where such beggars originate from, is no longer a member of ECOWAS, and therefore the economic community’s protocols excludes them.
Nigeria, the economic powerhouse of the West African sub-region, is no longer hosting such migrant beggars. Kano and Lagos states, their preferred destinations in previous times, no longer allow them.
Ghana is their preferred destination because, according to them, Ghanaians are so generous that it would appear they have wronged Almighty God.
We should not be oblivious to the fact that we are saddled in a sub-region awash with militants who would not tarry to make use of any security crevice they would find.
Our borders, like many others across the world, including the US, have porous portions which illegal migrants make use of.
Sometimes people accuse personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) of allowing such migrants access to the country, accusation which exposes the ignorance of such persons. As pointed out earlier, such migrants use unapproved routes, and against the previous ECOWAS protocols strict adherence of ‘no entry’ was a challenging task for overstretched border law enforcement personnel.
There is a new man at the throttle of the GIS, Samuel Amadu Basintale, who has turned a new chapter in managing the borders, a reality which was evidenced by the swoop last Friday on migrant beggars in Accra.
Many observers were excited about the swoop, but considering the cost, we wonder how sustainable it would be; feeding, profiling and transporting them to the borders or their countries of origin are costly.
Undertaking such an exercise and stopping after a few days would render it ineffective.
Because of its national security implications, we demand that the necessary logistics and funds be released to the GIS so it can sustain the programme of making Ghana a no-go area for migrant beggars.
If Nigeria, which shares borders with Niger has done so, why shouldn’t we do same?
Let not politicians interfere with the GIS programme by asking for cessation. The GIS should rather be encouraged to carry on with this national security assignment.
Burkina Faso, a country we share borders with in the North, is on a security alert because of a recent security incident which is reported to have claimed the lives of some soldiers there.
Let us therefore not take chances with our usual Ghanaian generosity with strangers. The world is no longer what it used to be, mischievous persons having become complex and devious.
Landlords and residents in neighbourhoods should be interested in the backgrounds of persons who come seeking accommodation for rentals.
Suspicious persons should be reported to the GIS for further action.
