The Tamale Migration Information Center (MIC) of the Ghana Immigration Service in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has organized a day’s sensitization campaign to educate the people of Sagnarigu in the Northern Region about the dangers associated with irregular migration.
The Spanish government in collaboration with the Ghana Immigration Service established the MIC with the mandate to sensitize and educate the people of the five regions in the north against irregular migration and promote safe travel among the inhabitants.
The intervention is in line with the UN sustainable development goal eight (8) which promotes Decent Work and Economic Growth for all by 2030.
The GIS Northern Regional Commander, ACI Ibrahim Issaka Lang-hani, in his remarks said there has been a trend over the years of young men and women from the north embarking on dangerous journeys to the Gulf Region to take up menial jobs in those countries.
He noted these travels are mostly facilitated by unaccredited agents who lure these unsuspecting victims into believing that they would be paid lucrative salaries but they end up returning to Ghana with very horrifying stories.
The phenomenon has therefore necessitated this exercise to highlight the consequences of irregular migration in an audio/visual broadcast at the forecourt of the Sagnarigu Chief palace last Monday, 20th February, 2023.
The weeklong exercise will be organized at Savelugu, Tolon, Lamashegu and Dakpema Chief palaces to educate the people in those communities as well.
ACI Ibrahim Issaka Lang-hani disclosed between 2014 till date an estimated number of 53,320 fatalities have been recorded with incidents of drowning recording the highest number of 22,112, and accidental deaths with the lowest of 844.
The others include mix or unknown deaths, 2,694, harsh environmental conditions, 1,400, violence 991, sickness 897 and vehicle accident 893.
Impact on Dev’t
The Commander further stated the importance of migration on Ghana’s socioeconomic development cannot be underestimated.
Nevertheless, he observed lack of reliable and up to date data makes it difficult to integrate migration into the national development planning processes specifically irregular posing significant challenges to the country’s development agenda.
Mr. Collins Yeboah, a Community Outreach Assistant with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, “One will ask why we are in Tamale because what we’ve realized is that most of the people that we support to return home are mostly from the Ashanti and Western regions but recently we’ve also realized that we’re recording increasing number of returnees from the northern region.”
He added it is against this background that it has become necessary to organize the exercise to inform the populace about the dangers associated with irregular migration.
“We’ve realized this type of migration is not for the poorest of the poor because you’re required to pay some huge amount of money before you can embark on this. So, what should we do, we should inform them because some of them are not aware of the journey to make the right decisions and some of them are not also aware that there are opportunities that they can access” Mr. Yeboah emphasized.
