The MIC aims to facilitate and empower migrants to travel in a legal, voluntary and safe way. The new building will offer a neutral venue for potential and actual migrants to obtain accurate and reliable information on legal migration procedures and required documentation as well as the risks of irregular migration.
“One of the reasons why people resort to irregular migration is lack of credible information on how to travel legally and the real dangers of irregular migration. Empowering migrants with correct knowledge is one of the most effective ways to protect potential migrants from unnecessary harm and loss of lives”, said Ms Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, IOM Ghana Chief of Mission.
Mr. William Hanna, Head of the EU in Ghana observed that Migration is a global phenomenon with global causes and consequences. "To tackle this phenomenon, a worldwide debate is essential, as we did at Valletta few weeks ago, but equally important are local initiatives as this one in Sunyani. The EU will continue working with Ghana's central and local authorities and civil society to manage migration, avoid unnecessary deaths and suffering and offer concrete alternatives to emigration for the young generation".
Prior to the launch, IOM conducted an assessment on migration to understand the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and behaviours. The study findings indicate that irregular migration occurs on a daily basis from Ghana to various destinations. For many migrants this means travel through the Sahara desert to Libya.
Those who survive this harrowing journey then either seek out employment or attempt to reach Europe by sea. According to the Italian Interior Ministry, Ghanaians are one of the major nationalities who arrived in Italy by sea in 2015 with 4,431 individuals (3,995 men, 155 women, 41 accompanied minors and 240 unaccompanied minors).
The launch of the Centre in the Brong Ahafo Region is highly strategic, given the numerous people in the Region, especially youth, who risk their lives in dangerous and exploitative journeys. This situation is worsened by the after effects of the Libyan crisis of 2011, when more than 18,000 Ghanaian migrants were assisted to return home by the Government of Ghana in partnership with IOM. The Brong Ahafo Region received more than half of the returns and is still coping with their reintegration.
“Over the years, the GIS, as a lead agency in migration management in Ghana, has strived to bring to the fore the dangers of irregular migration as well as the benefits of safe migration to the Ghanaian populace sometimes with assistance of its development partners particularly the EU and its member countries. The construction of the Centre will further assist the GIS to effective educate migrants and potential migrants on the dangers of irregular migration and the need to migrate positively”, explained Mr Felix Yaw Sarpong, Acting Director of Ghana Immigration Service.
In order to equip the officers working at the Centre with adequate knowledge and skills, the project organized a study visit to the IOM supported Migration Resource Centre in Tunis, Tunisia and major migrant landing sites in Sicily, Italy. During the visit, the GIS officers learned effective procedures to run a Centre as well as the importance of forming partnerships with local stakeholders to assist migrants with various needs. The visit also provided the participants an opportunity to see the ongoing migration crisis in a bigger picture and confirmed the need to work together to address the challenges.
With its overall objective to contribute to the Ghanaian government’s effort to manage migration more effectively, the GIMMA project is helping to build GIS’ operational capacity to protect the country’s borders; empower migrants to make informed migratory decisions; and improve the country’s migration data management capacity. The three-year EUR 3 million project is funded by the EU under the framework of 10th European Development Fund.
For more information please contact Kazumi Nakamura at IOM Ghana, Email: gimma@iom.int, Tel.: +233 (0)302 742 930 or 0501 295 272. |
