Ghana Immigration Service is targeting Senior High School students in their sensitisation drive on irregular migration in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.

The three regions, formerly Brong Ahafo region, have the highest rate of irregular migrants in Ghana. As a result, the Immigration Service anticipates the situation could get out of hand if measures are not taken to expose the high number of youths that will come out of school due to the Free SHS, to the dangers in embarking on such terrifying journeys.

Migration has become a global subject in recent times due to the increasing numbers of migrant fatalities and global migrant population including Ghanaians.

To help alleviate the plight of Ghanaians, especially inhabitants of the prevalent region, Initiative Black and White Ghana (IBWG), an NGO in collaboration with Sunyani Youth Development Association are supporting the Migration Information Centre (MIC) of Ghana Immigration Service to continue to serve as a one stop shop for free and credible migration related information.

At a joint press briefing in Sunyani, head of the MIC, Supt Haruna Alhassan said the canker of irregular migration bedeviling the country is endemic in the former Brong Ahafo Region

“Latest figures shows that 1,562 out of a total of 4,092 migrant returnees in 2017, and 284 out of 735 returnees in 2018 all came from the region”, he reveled.

And to help address the situation, Supt Alhassan said they have taken the sensitization drive to the various communities outside the regional capitals. “We have visited communities such as Kyekyerwere near Berekum, Adamsu near Drobo, Kintampo, Nkoranza, Nkrankrom etc to sensitize them on safe and irregular migration. The MIC have been able to reach out to over 50,000 people in these communities”, he said.

Supt Haruna Alhassan, however, noted that the MIC is re-strategizing with a focus on Senior High School students in the regions.  

He explained that, “due to government’s free SHS education policy, the number of students admitted in schools have increased. The unemployment situation in the country is such that these students after completion would tirelessly search for jobs and may resort to travelling out of the country to seek greener pastures, either by regular or irregular means”.

He said migrants prefer the desert than going through the right processes, adding, “Sensitizing the SHS students will make them abreast and also prepare them psychologically to face the realities of the future with patience”.

A Civil Sensitisation on Irregular Migration project is also being undertaken in 12 Senior High Schools in 10 districts across the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.

According to Joseph Tapena, the Country Project Coordinator, IBWG, the youth among others, are being exposed to the dangers associated with irregular migration with the help of some selected teachers.

He said, “the project is an intervention by IBWG to help reduce, if not stop the loss of lives and human capital on the desert and the high seas as a result of the irregular migration as well as participate actively in decision making process and engage their leaders on issues related to their wellbeing”.

On his part, Deputy Bono Regional Immigration Service Commander, Chief Supt Henry Ackah Duku advised the youth in the regions to take advantage of the fertile lands and go into farming. He said, “there is no point risking your lives on such perilous journey while you can earn a decent living by cultivating the fertile land at your disposal”.

President of the Sunyani Youth Development Association, Atta Akoto Snr, said apart from the association training the youth to be self-sustaining, they are also advocating for them to seek information before travelling, while calling on government to seriously tackle the youth unemployment in the country.