By Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
The government of Ghana is committed to doing everything within its power to help the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) realize its full potential in order for the Service to deliver on its mandate. To this end, the government intends to provide the resources required to make it work.
The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery made the observation at the commissioning of the renovated Hamile Border Post in the Upper West Region.
The Border Post was renovated with sponsorship from the German Foreign Office and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) under a project known as “Strengthening Border Security and Border Community Resilience in the Gulf of Guinea”.
Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo reports that a minute’s silence was held in the memory of the late Immigration Control Officer, Michael Otu who died in the line of duty on the 22nd March 2022 in the Hamile area.
M. Ambrose Dery, who is also the MP for Nandom, expressed the belief that the time has come to strengthen collaboration to confront the challenges with border management agencies.
He continued that, following similar projects and support to the governments of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, Ghana and the other beneficiary countries are forging ahead in improving regional border stability in the Gulf of Guinea.
Mr. Dery was very thankful to the benefactors and commented on the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) provided at the border post.
“I have no doubt that the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) will provide the State with the capacity to collect, process, analyse and share traveler information as well as support the digitization of migration data to improve traveler facilitation and control”.
The German Ambassador to Ghana, Daniel Krull called for a blend of effective border management and upscaling the resilience of border communities.
“We strongly believe that effective border management is part of security policy. At the same time we are all aware that border management alone will not solve the problem and will not secure security in the long run. It is very important that Ghana continues its policy in strengthening the resilience of communities at the border.”
The Chief of Mission, IOM Ghana, Madam Abibatou Wane-Fall underscored the significance of land borders: “Borders supported by functional infrastructure and equipment play an important role in traveller and trade facilitation, providing rich migration data that can be used to support evidence-based policies”.
The Comptroller General of Immigration, Kwame Asuah Takyi also doffed his hat for the German Foreign Office and the International Organization for Migration, for their efforts in actualizing what he described as; “the much needed project” for the Ghana Immigration Service to strengthen the border management capacities and community resilience in Hamile and Kulungugu border Posts”.
“Many of us are certainly aware of the challenges related to border management, including the lack of adequate infrastructure and equipment at existing border posts; the porosity of the borders; the activities of trafficking and smuggling networks; emergent threat of violence extremism spreading from the Sahel and ongoing global public health emergencies”.
“These challenges are raising concerns about the long-term border security and regional stability in the Gulf of Guinea”, he added.
Mr. Takyi however pointed out that our national security has made significant efforts at partnering the US government on border management to establish the Accra initiative.