The Controller-General of Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi, has revealed that Ghana needs diversified policy interventions to maximize the benefit of migration, adding that it has the potential to be cost-effective for both countries of origin and destination as well as migrants.
Mr. Takyi made this statement during an address at the External Stakeholders Validation Workshop of the Draft Ghana Immigration Service Strategic Plan 2023–2029 held in Accra.
Mr. Kwame Asuah used the occasion to thank the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) for facilitating the entire process under the “Strengthening Border and Migration Management in Ghana” (SMMIG) project, funded by the government of Denmark.
He, therefore, encouraged participants to take an active role in the validation workshop.
“To reinforce the strategic position and mandate of the Service to manage both current and future migration realities, with the expiration and subsequent evaluation of its second Strategic Plan (2018-2022), the service drafted a seven-year strategic plan (2023-2029) with funding support from the Denmark government, under the “Strengthening Border and Migration Management in Ghana” (SMMIG) project, which is being implemented by ICMPD.”
GIS does not take their relationship with stakeholders lightly because the service is not an island on its own. Therefore, you have a stake in shaping the direction of the service in the next seven years through this strategic plan, in the interest of Mother Ghana and for the furtherance of bilateral and multilateral relationships,” the GIS boss stated.
He charged the staff not to lose focus of the overall goal of the seven years strategic
“With so many lessons learnt from the recently expired plan, this is a window for the service to demonstrate that it is indeed a learning organization. We therefore need to embed in this strategic plan all ideas that will contribute to the success of the Service as we are in the process of breaking the circle of recurring challenges by making strides in improving the quality of the service”
In her statement, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Project Manager, Ms. Amala Obiokoye Nwalor, pointed out that the execution of the seven-year plan serves as a starting point and requires adequate human resources, financial support, and commitment.
The plan which covered the period of 2023 to 2029 was developed by the Technical Working Group (TWG) in collaboration with the ICMPD.
The strategic plan outlines various projected activities, including the construction of office and residential accommodations, procurement of new logistics, synchronization of travel data management across borders, gazetting of unapproved routes, and intensive stakeholder engagement.
The validation workshop brought together the Deputy Comptroller-Generals, members of GIS management, departmental, sectional, and unit heads, including regional commanders.
