Forum on illegal migration

Published in the Daily Graphic on 3/06/2010, pg 29

Story: Matilda Attram
A public forum has been held at Kasoa to educate potential travellers on the dangers involved in illegal migration.
The forum is also intended to sensitise Ghanaians on the dangers involved in the use of fraudulent certificates and documents.
The event, which started three years ago by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in collaboration with the AENEAS project, aimed at countering documentation fraud in the country.
Speaking at the forum, the Head of Migration Information Bureau (MIB) of the GIS, ACOI Adwoa Sika Anim, said migration was a global phenomenon which had effects on both origin and destination countries with impact on development.
She said although Ghana acknowledged the significance of migration with regard to her development, citizens needed to be encouraged to go through the right processes to avoid any inconvenience.
"In Ghana, we are all aware of the positive benefits of migration to the economy through money transfers, knowledge and skills transfer. However, the continuos flow of migrants in an irregular manner increases the vulnerability to exploitation," she stated.
She mentioned the lack of education and information on the processes of migration as major reasons why people travelled dangerously.
Explaining the negative effects of illegal migration, ACOI Anim pointed out that most migrants got stranded in various transit countries while others were arrested, detained and deported.
She said there were three categories of illegal migrants: Migrants who crossed borders illegally to avoid immigration officials, those who crossed borders using falsified documents and those who stayed on after the expiration of their legal status.
She further advised the public to refrain from illegal means of migration to enhance the country's reputation in the subregion adding that “free movements of persons and the rights of residence and establishment as instituted by ECOWAS, as a result of trade among nations, does not mean travelling without any travel document."
A Senior Registration Officer of the Birth and Death Registry, Hajia Fulera Iddi, who took participants through the process of the registration of documents, recommended that individuals should register through recognised organisations to avoid any fraudulent certificate.
The event also hosted officials from the Passport Office, Registrar General's Department and the Police CID who educated participants on the various aspects of documentation.