Renowned US-based Ghanaian lawyer and scholar, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, widely known as Kwaku Azar, has called out the John Dramani Mahama government over its decision to deport foreigners who are caught engaging in illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana.

In a post shared on Facebook, on Monday, April 7, 2025, Kwaku Azar said that the government must prosecute foreign illegal miners (galamseyers) who are caught engaging in the menace.

He made the point that the government must not only prosecute the foreign galamseyers but must also force them to repair the damage they have caused to the country’s natural resources.

He added that deporting foreigners who engage in galamsey is tantamount to giving them a “free ride” to their home countries.

“Prosecute them, jail them, seize their assets, and compel them to restore the damaged land. Deportation is a free ride home,” the academic wrote.

His remarks come after the Minister of the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, announced the government’s decision to deport foreigners involved in illegal mining from the country as part of strict punitive measures to be enforced against them.

According to him, the government will prioritise deportation measures against such culprits rather than prosecuting them in court, especially in criminal cases of galamsey and fraud.

Addressing a gathering of police officers in the Ashanti Region on April 4, 2025, Muntaka expressed concerns about the involvement of foreigners in unscrupulous and fraudulent activities upon their arrival in the country, with illegal mining being the most prominent issue.

“Many of them are trespassing in our forests, cutting trees unlawfully. Others are involved in galamsey activities, as well as various other illicit activities. We have decided on a new policy addressing two main issues: if you are in our forest, whether engaging in galamsey or unlawfully cutting trees, or involved in fraudulent activities, whether through computers or other means, our approach will be the same. When we arrest any foreigner for these two crimes, we are not interested in prosecuting them. Our first option is to deport them back to their home country,” he stated.

The minister also revealed that 107 foreigners have been deported since he assumed office, as part of the government’s ongoing crackdown galamsey.

BAI/AE

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