The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is stepping up efforts to detect and disrupt emerging security threats at Ghana’s borders as criminal networks increasingly exploit technology, irregular migration routes and weak points in border systems.

The GIS says it is transitioning into a more intelligence-driven institution to confront the changing nature of transnational organised crime and extremist movements across the region.

The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr Samuel Basintale Amadu, disclosed this in Accra at the opening of a 10-day intensive training programme on risk analysis and intelligence collection.

The programme, organised in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), forms part of the 48-month Strengthening and Harmonizing Integrated Border Management Frameworks and Technical (SHIFT) Project.

Mr Amadu said criminal networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, operating across several jurisdictions while exploiting advanced technology, forged documents, cyber tools and complex financial channels.

He also warned that terrorist and extremist groups continue to exploit irregular migration routes and vulnerabilities within border systems to facilitate movement across countries.

“These stark realities demand that the Ghana Immigration Service evolves into a fully intelligence-driven institution,” he said.

From border checks to intelligence

The new approach will place greater emphasis on professional data analysis, early detection of suspicious behaviour and closer collaboration among security and law-enforcement agencies.

According to the GIS, the goal is to enable officers to identify potential threats before they develop into serious security incidents.

Head of Office for the ICMPD, Madam Amala Obiokoye Nwalor, described risk analysis as the foundation of intelligence-led border management.

“Risk analysis is the backbone of intelligence-led border management,” she said, stressing the need to equip immigration officers with the skills required to anticipate threats and respond effectively.

30 officers to receive specialised training

Thirty frontline immigration officers selected from key entry and exit points across Ghana are participating in the 10-day programme.

Participants will be introduced to advanced data technologies and modern risk-assessment systems, with a focus on strengthening their ability to analyse institutional risks and identify potential security threats.

The training forms part of the wider €7.3 million European Union-funded SHIFT Project, implemented by the ICMPD.

The project comes amid growing security concerns in West Africa, including porous borders, the spillover of terrorism from the Sahel and the expansion of transnational organised crime.

For Ghana, the initiative is intended to strengthen the country's ability to identify risks at its borders while improving coordination and intelligence-sharing among relevant agencies.

The GIS says building the capacity of frontline officers is critical to ensuring that Ghana's border management system keeps pace with the increasingly sophisticated methods being used by criminal and extremist networks.