‘Your cedi can fund terrorism’ – Immigration Service asks Ghanaians to stop giving to street beggars

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is urging the public to stop giving money to street beggars and to report suspected cases of human trafficking, child exploitation and forced begging.

The appeal is part of a campaign running under the hashtag #StopMigrantBegging, shared on the Service’s social media pages. It uses a series of posters showing children and women begging on busy streets.

One poster carries a warning that street begging is “not always a simple act of seeking help” and tells the public to “Stop, Report, Protect.”

Another asks people to report suspected trafficking, child exploitation or forced begging to the appropriate authorities.

The most pointed message reads: “Your cedi can fund terrorism. Stop giving to street beggars.”

The campaign builds on comments made by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Immigration in charge of Command Posts, Faisal Disu in September.

Speaking at the opening of a Regional Workshop on Cross-Border Cooperative Framework, Mr Disu said GIS had run an operation in the previous three weeks to clear migrant beggars off the streets, but many came back soon afterwards.

He blamed public donations, saying they make begging worth people’s while.

He said many of the children on the streets had been trafficked.

“Most of the children you see have been trafficked. They have been trafficked from their home countries and they are here being exploited,” he said.

Mr Disu told those who want to help to give through the social welfare department or recognised orphanages, not directly to beggars. He warned that handing over cash can keep children trapped on the streets and keep the exploitation going.

He also warned about what happens if nothing is done.

“Remember these kids that you see, if nothing is done in 10 years’ time, they won’t be asking you for money, but they’ll be grown and hardened and they may be demanding your phones, your wallets and things like this,” he said.

He asked the public to cooperate in getting vulnerable migrant children off the streets and into proper care.