The government of Ghana has announced a new policy focusing on the deportation of foreign nationals arrested for criminal activities, rather than prosecuting them in the country.
This decision, according to the Minister of the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, is aimed at protecting Ghana’s environment and shielding its citizens from fraudulent activities committed by foreigners.
Speaking during an engagement with the Ashanti Regional Police Command in Kumasi on April 4, 2025, Muntaka outlined that this policy will particularly apply to foreign nationals involved in illegal mining (locally known as galamsey), unlawful logging, and cyber fraud.
He explained that security investigations have revealed criminal networks involving foreign nationals operating within Ghana’s forests, illegally mining gold, cutting down trees without authorization, and defrauding individuals worldwide via cybercrime activities.
“What we found were activities that were destroying citizens globally, with a sophisticated system set up to exploit our resources,” Muntaka said. “Many of them are in our forests, unlawfully cutting trees, engaging in galamsey activities, and committing various other crimes.”
The minister stressed that under this new directive, foreign nationals arrested for these crimes would not face prosecution in Ghana. Instead, their first option will be deportation.
“For these two crimes – illegal mining and cyber fraud – when we arrest any foreigner, we are not interested in prosecuting them. Our first priority is to take them back to their country,” he said.
Muntaka emphasized the importance of collaboration among the police, prosecutors, and the Ghana Immigration Service to implement the policy effectively. He also noted that the prosecutors within the police service have already written to the Attorney-General to facilitate the enforcement of this directive.
He further explained that once deported, foreign criminals will be placed on Ghana’s stop list, which will prevent them from re-entering the country.
“We want to make it clear that we are not interested in prosecuting those who are destroying our environment or defrauding people across the globe. We want them out of our country,” he added.
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