Illegal Chinese Gold Miners in Ghana Seized and Held by Police

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Chinese gold mine workers in Ghana, suspected of being engaged in illegal mining activities, are being rounded up by the police. This is just the latest event in Sub-Saharan Africa in which the credentials of Chinese immigrant workers and their management practices have caused disputes with local labor bodies and authorities.

Reports say that armed officers raided mines, supermarkets and hotels in Kumasi, Obuasi and Dunkwa in the Ashanti region, where Chinese run the majority of the small- and medium-size gold mines.

Many of those detained are likely to be deported. The country's immigration service said that 124 illegal gold prospectors had been seized in the capital city of Accra. The Chine embassy in Accra confirmed the arrests. The Chinese foreign ministry urged its nationals in Ghana to respect local laws and requested local authorities to protect Chinese people's rights.

It is estimated that there are 50,000 illegal Chinese prospectors in Ghana, with the majority of them coming from the Guanxi province.

The secretary general of the Chinese mining association in Ghana estimated that gold mines controlled by Chinese prospectors produced about 24 tons (846,000 ounces) of gold a year.

The 21st Century Business Herald said that, following the beginning of Ghana's gold rush in 2005, many people became rich and sent fortunes home to China. After a bank in Shanglin reported that it had received a total of about $170 million in remittances from Ghana over a period of only two weeks in May/June 2011, the interest of the Ghanaian government was aroused. The average annual personal income in Shanglin is less than $900.

The government accused Chinese prospectors of working without permits and said that their mining methods--often unregulated--polluted rivers and lakes.

The cash-rich prospectors sought armed protection as they became targets for local armed gangs. Now a return to the safety of China is being considered by many.

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