The Volta Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has since last week deported 40 Niger nationals and eight Nigerians who entered the country through unapproved routes.
This coincided with vigorous efforts by the service to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
Deputy Comptroller of Immigration (DCI) and Volta Regional Commander of the GIS, Peter Nantuo, disclosed these to the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa when he visited the command on Tuesday for a chat with personnel of the service over measures being taken to prevent spread of COVID-19 in the region.
DCI Nantuo said that the illegal immigrants who took up sanctuary in Ho were peddling herbal aphrodisiacs to eke out a living when they were rounded up in the regional capital.
According him, they were all deported prior to the President’s directive to shut the country frontiers in the wake of measures to curb the spread of the virus.
The Regional GIS Commander said that the foreigners were deported in three batches, with last repatriation exercise taking place just before the closure of the borders.
On his part, Dr Letsa commended personnel of the GIS for their vigilance along the frontiers.
He warned that any personnel of the service who compromised his/her professionalism, and allowed people into the country against the Presidential directive for paltry gains would suffer swift and ruthless consequences.
Meanwhile, Dr Letsa has re-assured the people of the region that there was no case of COVID-19 in the region.
He said that the samples from three suspected cases from the region which were sent to Accra recently tested negative.
“So let us all work together to keep the virus away from the region,” he said.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
