The Chief Director for the Ministry of the Interior, Mrs Adelaide Anno-Kumi, has launched the United Nations and European Union Building Migration Partnership Project to promote safe, orderly and regular migration.
It will also advance the work of the United Nations, governments, stakeholders, migrants and communities for sustainable development.
According to her, migration has been the result of economic, political, social and environmental factors, which have gained attention from policymakers and world leaders.
Mrs Anno-Kumi added that the Global Compact for Migration, as the first globally negotiated agreement on a common approach to international migration, was endorsed by world leaders in Marrakech, Morocco in December 2018. This would compel Member States to implement measures to manage their migration programmes to reap the necessary benefits.
She indicated that the government has implemented measures to address challenges relating to migration, such as human trafficking.
She said a coordinated strategy led by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and backed by organizations like the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service and Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department has led to the rescue of trafficked persons, the arrest and prosecution of traffickers.
“This initiative has resulted in Ghana maintaining its second-tier ranking by the United States Department of States report on Trafficking in Persons,” she added.
Mrs Anno-Kumi disclosed that Ghana has started a campaign to fortify its borders, not only to increase security and prevent terrorism but also to stop the influx of unauthorized immigrants.
She lauded the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for its assistance in renovating two border posts in the Upper West Region at Hamile and the Upper East Region at Kulungugu with cutting-edge amenities, including the Migration Information and Data Analysis Systems.
She also commended the European Union and the UN Office in Ghana for their financial support to Ghana’s migration governance initiative.
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The Chief Director indicated that as part of efforts to execute the National Migration Policy, the ministry would work with IOM to develop a national coordinating structure with other key stakeholders.
The United Nations and European Union Building Migration Partnership project is part of the European Union’s reaffirmed commitment to establishing a close partnership with partner nations through the UN Network on Migration to pioneer capacity development assistance for migration and mobility.