Passage of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) bill will help to stem smuggling activities at the various border-posts in the country and recoup monies lost to this illicit trade to the national coffers, Eric Afari-Northern Regional Commander of the service, has indicated.
Speaking at a thanksgiving service in Tamale, he said the new law — which is a re-enactment of the existing Immigration Service Act, 1989 (PNDC Law 226) — will empower officers to go about their duties more efficiently.
He said: “Previously, officers lacked weapons to help them work effectively, and that resulted in the high infiltration of illegal goods and services through porous routes into the country. This obviously affected revenue mobilisation as government does not get any monies on smuggled goods.
“This new law will empower officers with arms to check smuggling at the border points, which will indirectly expand operations of the service and spur officers to work to the best of their abilities.”
The Ghana Immigration Service is mandated to guard the country’s border-posts, hence the need for institutional restructuring and effecting legal backing to strengthen operations.
Mr. Afari further noted that the law will motivate personnel of the service to provide quality immigration services, and especially work hard to protect the national borders as well as flush out migrants engaged in illegal activities in the region.
“The region is faced with security challenges at the various borders due to lack of a clear blueprint for border development, inadequate investment in border infrastructure, under-resourcing of border operatives, and failure to plan to plan toward the changing settlement pattern in the border communities.”
He urged all foreigners who have entered and are operating illegally in the region to endeavour regularising their residence and businesses with the appropriate authorities, or stand the risk of prosecution and deportation back to their country.
Mr. Afari implored landlords to monitor the activities of foreigner who reside in their homes, as there have been lots of foreigners residing in the region and using their religion to influence others.