Officials of the GIS, EU Delegation in Ghana and the IOM
THE GHANA Immigration Service (GIS) has received a set of public education equipment from the European Union (UE) to aid its operations in dealing with migration issues in Ghana.
A delegation from the EU and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Thursday morning, visited the GIS Head Office in Accra to present the electronic devices to the GIS.
They included wireless microphones, megaphones, sound mixer, generator, laser jet printer, projector screen, recorder and speakers.
The Comptroller General of GIS, Kwame Ansuah-Takyi, who welcomed the delegation to the service head office, expressed gratitude to the service to the EU and IOM for the kind gesture.
He assured them that the items would be put to use for the intended purpose.
Mr. Ansuah-Takyi stated that the service “has not relented on its vision of delivering excellence in security and migration management for national development.”
According to him, the Migration Information Centre (MIC) department of the service is constantly and actively engaged in rigorous public educational campaigns and sensitization to educate the public on the dangers of irregular migration.
The service, he said, had also set up the Returns and Reintegration Units at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the GIS Headquarters to receive and manage returnees who came home.
He disclosed that this was part of efforts to ensure the effective management of migration in the country.
The GIS boss said the move attracted support from the European Return and Reintegration Network in the establishment of the MIC for returnees at KIA.
The Head of Governance Section at the EU Delegation to Ghana, Maria Luisa Troncoso, noted that the donation formed part of efforts to strengthen the governance of migration and to ensure sustainable reintegration of returning migrants to Ghana.
According to her, the equipment will aid the service in creating the needed awareness about safe migration and the risks of irregular migration across the country in order to mitigate the impact of the phenomenon.
The Chief of Mission at IOM Ghana, Ms. Abibatou Wanne-Fall, said the impact of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic had the propensity to cause individuals to migrate – a situation which she indicated, called for continuous awareness creation.
“Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is more than ever necessary to continue with our safe migration campaigns, especially reaching out to the youth to give them accurate information not only about the risks of irregular migration, but also about the alternatives in the country including possibilities of regular migration,” she noted.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio