Street children are security threat, says CRI

The executive director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah is calling on the government to collaborate with the various embassies in Ghana to evacuate the growing number of foreign street children.

Appiah’s call comes as Ghana joins the rest of the world to commemorate international day for street children on 12 April on the theme “safe spaces”.

The day is set aside to provide opportunity for civil society organisations to spread awareness on the number of street children globally.

“We have a number of children begging on the streets and from different environment all together. There are foreigners in here, there are people who are also indigenes and then there are some that are also indigenes but on medical purpose that they use to beg on the street,” Appiah said on The Asaase Breakfast Show.

“And for me if our safety net is not that strong to deal with the matter, then we expect that the government will have engagement with the embassies, so that they can get these foreigners back to their various countries on the principle of diplomacy, so that they can go back,” he told Kwaku Nhyira-Addo.

“Some of them are on the streets, not that they have lost their homes, but they feel that the environment is comfortable for them.”

Appiah also called for enforcement of laws to ensure parents whose children end up on the streets are penalised.

“There are also citizens who beg on the streets and for me it is clearly based on irresponsibility on the part of parents and the enforcement of the laws. So, we also need to ensure that those who infringe on the law are punished,” Appiah said.

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