Hon. Avoka further recommended that the law should be explained to all officers.
Speaking at a two- day workshop on the Implementation Plan of the Immigration Service Act 2016, (Act 908) organised for Board and Management of the GIS in Accra, he stated that it is not enough to have a new Law, but the implementation will determine the effectiveness of it and advised the implementation Committee to work fast to ensure the successful implementation of the Act.

He urged Management to work as a team for the betterment of the Service and give the Head the necessary support to make his tenure a success.

The Director of Immigration, Felix Yaw Sarpong, thanked the Board Chair and Members for attending the workshop and recommended that the Committee make the law operational for staff to understand and work with and also work within the time lines set for the implementation.

Benefits of the law
The Immigration Service Act, 2016, Act 908, would cure the defects of the Immigration Service Law, PNDCL 226, Legitimize the added functions that could not be gleaned from the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573, Convert the Board into a Council, and elevate the status of Director of Immigration. It will also expand the ranking structure of the GIS to be at par with that of the Police and Prisons Services, rename some of the ranks in the Senior Officer division of the Service and introduce the bearing of arms.

Why the amendment
The GIS law had to be amended to provide a wider platform for the Service to function effectively and also have the legal backing of the law considering the dynamics of immigration issues globally.

END/BS/20-6-16