The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has warned that it would prosecute landlords and property owners who rent out their facilities to foreigners without proper immigration documents.
Ghana began the massive crackdown after a viral video showing immigration officials being attacked by persons suspected to Nigerian nationals.
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS),has begun a nationwide crackdown on landlords and property owners who have rented out to non-Ghanaians with no immigration status.
The GIS said the practice of accommodating illegal immigrants over the years led to a high spate of criminal activities that was hard to monitor.
A statement issued by the GIS in Accra and signed by the Comptroller-General, Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, said the use of such properties by persons who were illegally residing in the country made such owners liable of the offence of harbouring an illegal migrant, as stipulated in Section 52(1)(b) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).
“Section 52(1)(b) states that a person who knowingly harbours any person whom he knows is to be deported or has reasonable grounds to believe has acted in contravention of this Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding GH¢1,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both,” it added.
According to the statement, properties and residences occupied by illegal foreign migrants were being used in most cases to commit crimes against the state, including cyber fraud.
The Public Relations Officer of the GIS, Superintendent Michael Amoako Attah said the service will not relent on its effort to clamp down on illegal immigrants.
“If you are landlord and you want to give your property out to a non-Ghanaians, the law says that be very sure that, that person has proper residential status from the Ghana Immigration service. If we come to your premises and such people are there [without documentation] then you have contravened the law,” he said.