There are 476, 400 migrants in Ghana with more than one million Ghanaians living abroad, the Chief of Party of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Ghana, MsAbibatou Wane-Fall, has revealed.
She said these migrants were engines for social development in their host communities and origins hence the need for alliance and robust measures to help leverage the positives of migration and limit its adverse impacts.
“Presently, Ghana is faced with a dynamic migration context. Situated in the Economic Community of West African States— a place which has been described as a region of hyper migration — it is a country of origin, transit and destination for migration,” she said in Accra yesterday.
Ms Wane-Fall was speaking at the launch of the IOM Ghana’s Country Strategy (2022-2025) which brought together migration stakeholders including the United Nations, and state institutions.
Over the next three years, IOM Ghana would focus on six strategic priority areas comprising immigration and border management; counter-trafficking; assisted voluntary return and reintegration; migration and development; migration health and emergency, preparedness, response, and stabilisation.
Ms Wane-Fall said the strategy, in line with IOM’s strategic vision of resilience, mobility and governance, was consistent with national and international migration frameworks including the Sustainable Development goals.
She said mainstreamed in the priorities were issues of environment and climate change; gender dynamics, migration data, right-based approach to programming and youth.
Despite progress made by the country to resolve migration challenges, she said, more efforts was needed for Ghana to gain the positive contribution of migrants and migration to socio-economic development and limit the impact of adverse drivers of unfavourable migration outcomes.
“Through this strategy, IOM also reconfirms its commitment to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society,” Ms Wane-Fall said.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of The Interior, Adelaide Anno-Kumi, said the country was affected by all facets of migration and mobility including regular, irregular, refugees, human trafficking and cross border crimes.
With the majority of the Ghanaian population, made up of the youth, she said, unemployment, was one of the push factors for the Ghanaian youth to embark on irregular and perilous journeys to seek greener pastures.
She said globalisation and threats of terrorism, terrorist financial and transnational criminal activities had also made border management a matter of great concern to national security.
While thanking the IOM for its support in border management and other support over the years, she said the new country strategy would help amplify gains made over the years.
“The Ministry with the mandate to coordinate migration-related matters in Ghana is committed to partnering with IOM in bringing innovation which will enhance the country’s migration trends,” she said.
The UN Resident Coordinator, CharlesAbani, in a speech read on his behalf said about 258 million international migrants exist currently and that the strategy would contribute to safe, orderly and regular migration in Ghana while helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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BY JONATHAN DONKOR
