Deputy Interior Minister, Ebenezer Terlarbi, says the country’s justice and prison systems are overwhelmed and struggling to deal with foreign nationals involved in illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, he revealed that overcrowded prisons, limited resources, and slow court processes make it difficult to prosecute these offenders.
He defended a new policy by Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak, which includes transferring police commanders in mining areas and the immediate deportation of foreign galamsey suspects.
But the move has sparked criticism from civil society groups and security experts, who say it creates a double standard in law enforcement and weakens the fight against transnational crime.
Terlarbi admitted the approach may appear unfair but argued it’s a practical response to a broken system.
“You arrest 80 foreigners and there’s no place to keep them. Feeding prisoners is already a challenge,” he said.
He stressed that deportation isn’t about leniency, but about managing limited capacity.
