Ghana recorded 2,000 illegal migrants between 2025 and 2026 - KAIPTC

A Senior Research Fellow at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Dr Mustapha Abdallah, has called for tighter border controls to help Ghana manage illegal migration and improve national security.

He said information presented by a Ghanaian border officer at a meeting on border security management in Senegal indicated that about 2,000 illegal migrants had been in the country between March 2025 and July 2026.

Speaking on the issue, Dr Abdallah said Ghana needed to strengthen its border monitoring to ensure that people entering the country were legally permitted to do so.

“Our first and foremost need is to man the borders to ensure that those who are coming into the country, first and foremost, are legal migrants or people who by law are allowed to be in the country,” he said.

Dr Abdallah explained that while some people fleeing threats in Sahelian countries might seek refuge in Ghana, they should not automatically be regarded as extremists or terrorists.

“They are not extremists and terrorists,” he stressed, adding that Ghana and international law provide for the protection of people seeking refuge from threats in their home countries.

He said the country must provide appropriate protection and accommodation for such individuals while ensuring their safety.

“For that one, we need to ensure that we protect them, give them accommodation, and also ensure that they stay safe in the country,” he added.

However, the KAIPTC fellow said authorities must remain alert to individuals suspected of criminal activity, urging communities to report such cases to the relevant security agencies.

“When we suspect individuals who are potentially criminals, what do we need to do? We need to also report them to the security agencies to ensure that the rest of the community members are safe,” he said.

Dr Abdallah emphasised the need for cooperation between residents, the police, immigration officials and other security agencies to balance national security with the protection of vulnerable migrants.

He said Ghana must ensure that while citizens are protected from criminal activities, people who are legally staying in the country are also treated safely and humanely.



NA/VPO