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The Ghana Immigration Service has begun deliberations with the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Hoteliers Association to find an amicable way to implement the Aliens’ Registration Regulation, 1974 (LI. 856).

This has become essential following the terrorist attacks in hotels in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Bamako, Mali, by extremists.

Briefing the press on the sides of the preliminary meeting at the service’s headquarters in Accra, Mr Francis Palmdeti, Head of Public Affairs, GIS, said the service intended to strictly enforce the provisions of the law, especially in view of emerging regional and national security threats.

“Following the attacks in Ouagadougou and Bamako, and also being aware of the operations of Boko Haram in the sub-region, we felt it was necessary to reactivate our hotel inspections,” Mr Palmdeti noted.

He said, recently, the service’s enforcement officers have been having some challenges dealing with the hotels because the hotels are also ignorant about the position of the law, “and so we felt it was necessary to meet the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Hoteliers Association to sensitise and also discuss with them how we could implement the law.”

The Aliens’ Registration Regulation, 1974 provides that hotels are to submit returns on all foreigners who lodge in their facilities to the GIS every Friday.

It further gives the service the authority to periodically enter and inspect hotel premises and their records on foreigners.

Mr Palmdeti said before they start enforcing the law, the service will sensitise the public, including hoteliers, through awareness creation on the need for everyone to be security conscious.

He said the inspection is in the interest of both the managers of hotels and the public, and that keeping records on foreigners in hotels is not a new phenomenon; it is being done all over the world.

“When you are a foreigner in a country, before you book for a hotel, they will demand information on your nationality. We know visitors that are with us to step up security.”

He said the burden to comply with the law is directed towards the hoteliers, and failure to obey or comply with the regulation would attract a penalty or a term of imprisonment.

Mr Palmdeti said at the time law was made, it did not take into consideration electronic means of gathering information that is why we need to come out with a convenient way to ensure compliance of the provisions in the law.