Representative of the Interior Minister, Mrs. Adeliade Annoh Kumi speaking at the event
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has officially opened a new Migration Information Center for Returnees (MICR) at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The Centre was established through the support of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and with the benevolence of the European Return and Reintegration Network (ERRIN) and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
It will function as a reception for Ghanaians who return voluntarily or are forced to return to Ghana from other parts of the world especially, Europe.
Through a strong collaboration with stakeholders, the MICR will also assist with the reintegration process of returnees into the Ghanaian community.
Controller-General, GIS, Kwame Asuah Takyi, speaking at the opening of the Centre in Accra on Monday, said the project was initiated with an objective to increase the Ghanaian administration’s ownership in the coordination of reception of returnees, as well as the quality of reintegration services offered to returning migrants.
He said the centre started as a desk at the KIA when the service realized the need to keep proper documented records on Ghanaian return migrants and to receive migrants in a manner that is humane and dignified.
“We want Ghanaian migrants who decide to return to Ghana to do so in a safe and dignified way with full respect to human rights standards,” he said.
Mr. Takyi said since the initiative begun in 2019, it has assisted over 1000 migrants and over 600 returnees have benefited from reintegration.
He further noted that standard operation procedures have been established to guide the work of the centre as well as other logistics have been provided to effectively support returnees.
Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery, in a speech read on his behalf, applauded the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and the Ministry for Children, Family, Refugees and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia for putting its priorities within the efforts of the GIS in putting dignified return and sustainable reintegration of returnees into our communities.
He said although illegal migration is a security issue, it must not be addressed using only security measures.
“There are other factors that influence illegal migration such as poverty, climate change that have led to the loss of livelihoods of people, misinformation regarding migration where people have the belief that once they migrate their fortunes will suddenly turn around for good and so forth. These issues need to be addressed,” he added.
He said the government is committed to working with stakeholders to address the issues that influence Ghanaians to illegally migrate to Europe for greener pastures.
Senior Programme Manager, ERRIN, Ruben Laurijssen, said the aim is to create more direct operational cooperation between governments.
He said although the project ends its operation in July, 2022, a new initiative – the return and reintegration facility implemented by the ICMPD – will kick off.
German Ambassador to Ghana, Daniel Krull, in his remarks said there is a potential for mutual beneficial migration in particular to qualified technicians, trainees, students, researchers, business people or artists.
“We should discourage people from taking the risky – in many cases- fatal routing through the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea,” he said.
Present at the ceremony were Dr. Joachim Stamp, Deputy Premier and Minister for Children, Family, Refugees and Integration, North Rhine-Westphalia, Mr. Irchad Razaaly, Ambassador of th European Union to Ghana, and Ms. Mojisola Sodeinde, Head of the West African Region, ICMPD.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri