The Strengthening Border and Migration Management in Ghana (SMMIG) project has built the capacities of immigration officers to detect fraudulent documents and manage border security issues, Ms Amala Obiokoye-Nwalor, Project Manager, SMMIG, has said.
She said the project had leveraged both international and local expertise to strengthen the knowledge of participants to manage migration challenges in the country.
The Project Manager said this at a dinner to end the SMMIG project hosted by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
The GIS and the ICMPD signed a Memorandum of Understanding, funded by the Denmark Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to support Ghana in strengthening its institutional and operational capacities to manage irregular migration flows.
The project, among others, is to enhance the capacity of the GIS to combat irregular migration by strengthening the detection and investigation of document fraud at the regional level.
The fir
st phase of the project started from December 2018 – November 2021, while the second phase began from August 2021 – July 2024.
Ms Obiokoye-Nwalor said the initiative had strengthened collaborations with other stakeholders to train participants in investigations, prosecutions, intelligence, and fraud detection.
The project, she stressed, had helped to strengthen GIS operational processes through the development of a new strategic plan (2023-2027).
‘The project has improved the institutional and professional capacities of the GIS in the area of cybersecurity.
‘This is manifested through the establishment of a cybersecurity unit, the delivery of basic, advanced, and on-the-job capacity-building training, and the provision of equipment,’ she said.
Ghana is a country of origin, transit, and destination with irregular migratory flows from various countries in West Africa and other regions.
The country is also faced with the challenges of cross-border crimes, which pose a threat to national security.
She s
aid the need to strengthen the capacity of the GIS was critical in combating those challenges, especially irregular migration and cross-border crimes.
Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, the Comptroller General, GIS, commended the stakeholders for supporting the project to manage border-related issues.
That, he stressed, was necessary because migration management required concerted efforts to ensure national security.
He lauded the active participation of beneficiaries and pledged to build on the gains made to curb irregular migration flows.
Ms Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen, Deputy Ambassador of Denmark Embassy to Ghana, said Denmark donated laptops and other IT-related gadgets to GIS to strengthen border and migration management to help improve migration governance.
The items include a multifunctional printer, photocopier, SMART television, air conditioners, CCTV cameras, and furniture, procured under the SMMIG project.
She pledged Denmark’s commitment to continue to invest in Ghana to effectively manage migration chal
lenges both within and outside the country.
Dr Mojisola Sodeinde, Head of West Africa Region, ICMPD, commended the participants for their steadfastness and dedication, saying the successful implementation of the project was a testament to the power of collaboration among stakeholders.
Awards were presented to the participants for their exceptional leadership in the implementation of the project.
Source: Ghana News Agency