Bright Wireko-Brobbey
The Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wireko-Brobbey, has reiterated the government’s commitment to protect labour migrants.
He said measures including the national labour migration policy and awareness creation on irregular migration are being implemented to ensure a secure and safe labour migration for Ghanaians through state agencies.
He said the government has signed bilateral labour migration agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, adding that plans are far advanced for the agreement to be signed with Seychelles and Kuwait.
Mr. Wireko-Brobbey said the bilateral agreement would help tackle maltreatment of Ghanaian migrant workers in the Gulf States and other regions.
“We believe that labour migration management system can be enhanced if these measures are implemented in the short to medium term,” he said.
The Deputy Minister was speaking at the Migration Co-ordination Platform (MCP) bi-annual meeting held in Accra.
The platform is an alliance of development partners and multilateral agencies working towards good migration governance.
The meeting created the avenue for members of the platform to reflect on the progress made since it wasformed in March 2021.
Members of the platform discussed the government’s priorities in the area of migration as well as collaboration at the policy and operational levels.
An overview of the MCP was presented to the government including the MCP’s purpose, composition, and current areas of engagement.
Project Manager at IOM, NnamdiIwuora, said the MCP was created through the initiative of the European Union Delegation in Ghana and IOM, with the aim of improving the co-ordination of international development partners and multilateral agencies working on migration-related subjects in Ghana.
He said the platform had two Sub-Committees, one under the thematic area of Border Management (co-chaired by ICMPD) and the other under the thematic area of Return and Reintegration (co-chaired by GIZ).
IOM Ghana Chief of Mission, Abibatou Wane-Fall, said the collaboration had so far been fruitful with members looking forward to enhancing the partnership.
Presentations from members of the alliance pointed to a consensus for improve coordination of their respective migration-related interventions across the country.
The partners and agencies on the platform include the International Organisation for Migration -Ghana (IOM), European Union in Ghana; GIZ Ghana and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
The government was represented by officials from the Ministry for The Interior; Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations; Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Diaspora Affairs- Office of the President.
BY Jamila AkweleyOkertchiri