The Ghana Immigration Service has launched a special operation in Kaneshie and Abossey Okai to clear street children and their guardians from the area.
Officials of the Ghana Immigration Service led a dawn operation on Friday, May 16, 2024, in Kaneshie and Abossey Okai, rounding up numerous women and children, many believed to be non-Ghanaian nationals.
The individuals were escorted from sidewalks and intersections where they typically solicited alms.
This operation is part of broader efforts to address the growing presence of foreign street dwellers, particularly minors, in Accra’s major commercial areas.
The operation seeks to address street congestion, enhance safety, and combat child exploitation while ensuring proper immigration procedures.
This effort responds to concerns about increasing numbers of street children, especially from neighboring countries, highlighted by Dr. Ernestina Tetteh of the Coalition for Street-Connected Children Organisation.
“Statistics are hard to come by; we only know that the numbers are growing by the day. They usually come from Chad, Niger. This has been with us since I was a child, what we used to call ‘salaka’. But the issue has become worse than before,” she said.
Dr. Ernestina Tetteh warned that some street children might be part of a larger, organized network, highlighting concerns about potential exploitation and trafficking.
