Ghana has deported 68 foreign nationals from the Ashanti Region following court rulings connected to organised crime, prostitution, and other offences, underscoring the growing tension between border security and Africa’s long-standing ambition of freer movement.
The deportees comprised 42 Nigerians, 13 Cameroonians, seven Beninese, three Ivorians, and three Burkinabe nationals. The exercise was carried out by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) after the completion of legal processes, according to Ashanti Regional Minister Frank Amoakohene.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page, Amoakohene commended the GIS for its “professionalism, diligence, and firm commitment to enforcing our immigration laws,” while emphasising that due process and respect for human dignity were upheld throughout the operation. He noted that close collaboration between immigration officers, the courts, and other security agencies was essential to safeguarding public safety and protecting vulnerable persons in the region.
Although authorities did not release a detailed breakdown of individual cases, officials confirmed that the deportations followed convictions and court orders related to Q-Net-linked fraud, prostitution rings, and other criminal activities.
Beyond Ashanti, the deportations reflect a wider African dilemma: the widening gap between aspirations for open borders and the realities of weak enforcement and rising transnational crime. While initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Union’s free movement protocols seek to ease cross-border mobility, many countries lack the capacity to fully implement them.
Porous borders have increasingly been exploited by criminal networks, human traffickers, and migration-related fraud syndicates, forcing governments to prioritise security over integration. Libya offers a stark illustration, with authorities in recent months intensifying mass deportations of undocumented migrants, many using the country as a transit route to Europe.
For Ghana and other African states, the challenge remains balancing regional solidarity with domestic security imperatives. While deportations are presented as lawful responses to criminality, they also expose the fragility of border governance across the continent and the difficult choices confronting Africa’s vision of free movement.
