Strategy: British banks to freeze accounts of illegal Ghanaian immigrants

Weeding the illegals

From January 2018 Ghanaians and other nationalities living in the UK illegally will see their bank accounts frozen following a new directive by the UK Government to create ‘hostile environment.

Financial institutions, as well as building societies, are expected to carry out immigration checks on 70m current accounts as part of the country's measures to weed out illegal immigrants

READ ALSO:These will be the 21 most powerful economies in 2030

The Home Office expects to identify 6,000 visa overstayers, failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders facing deportation in the first year of the checks, which are to be carried out quarterly.

The accounts of those identified will be closed down or frozen “to make it harder for them to establish or maintain a settled life in the UK.

Officials say freezing accounts that hold significant sums “will create a powerful incentive [for those involved] to agree to voluntary departure” so they can secure their money once they have left the country.

Weeding the illegals Read Full Story