The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) will soon embark on an exercise to ensure that landlords and property owners do not harbour illegal migrants on their premises.
In a release on the subject, the GIS pointed out that it has come to its notice that “landlords and property owners are renting out their houses and properties to non-Ghanaians who have no immigration status”.
The GIS will therefore conduct vigorous checks on the premises and ask for the full cooperation of their officers.
The GIS noted that some facilities being occupied by such illegal migrants “are being used in most cases to commit crimes against the state including cyber fraud. The use of such properties by persons who are illegally residing in the country make such owners liable to the offence of harbouring an illegal migrant, as stipulated in Section 52(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573)”.
The Act states: “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”.
The release explained that landlords and owners of properties are further cautioned that the obstruction or prevention of an officer of the GIS from carrying out his lawful duty is an offence under the Immigration Act.
According to the GIS, landlords and property owners must demand at all times proof of residence or legal stay of foreign nationals before they give out their property to non-Ghanaians and/or enter into a lodging/tenancy contract with such persons.
It is an offence to disobey or disregard any obligation or directive given under the Immigration Act, the release stated adding that “upon the submission of a service identity card, the general public is therefore requested to cooperate with all immigration officers who visit their premises to conduct checks. Severe sanctions will be applied to all who breach the law by obstructing the immigration officer(s) from performing his/her lawful duty (ies)”.