Chief Justice Calls for Stronger Immigration-Judiciary Alliance to Fight Galamsey and Cross-Border Crime
Paul Baffoe-Bonnie calls for closer cooperation between the Judiciary and Ghana Immigration Service to curb foreign-linked galamsey, cybercrime, and other cross-border crimes
- Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has raised concerns about the growing involvement of foreign nationals
- He called for stronger collaboration between the Judiciary and the Ghana Immigration Service
- The Chief Justice said the rise in foreign-linked crimes has necessitated the creation of specialised courts to fast-track prosecutions
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has expressed deep concern over the growing involvement of foreign nationals—particularly Chinese citizens—in illegal mining (galamsey), describing it as a key reason behind the creation of specialised courts to fast-track such cases.
He made these remarks during a visit to the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Samuel Basintale Amadu, on February 4, 2026, where he stressed the urgent need for closer collaboration between the Judiciary and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in dealing with crimes involving foreigners.
According to the Chief Justice, modern crime-fighting requires specialised approaches, especially as Ghana grapples with cross-border crimes such as human trafficking, cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, and galamsey.
“Galamsey may not traditionally be seen as a cross-border crime, but it becomes one because of the people involved,” he noted, pointing directly to the prominent role played by Chinese nationals.
“We cannot pretend not to see what is happening. In some towns, Chinese nationals are selling equipment for galamsey and buying gold. These individuals are not imagined—they come from China. The critical question is: how do they enter our borders?” he asked.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie further underscored the need for enhanced intelligence sharing, coordinated enforcement, and effective immigration controls to curb the activities of foreign nationals engaged in criminal enterprises.
He concluded that stronger cooperation between law enforcement agencies and immigration authorities is essential to preventing such crimes and ensuring swift prosecution when offenders are arrested.
