22nd December 2024 12:52:58 PM
2 mins readThe Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has reported that over the past four years, a total of 12,646 Ghanaians, comprising 8,186 men and 4,459 women have been deported from various countries.
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Most of these deportations occurred from countries such as Libya, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Canada.
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This update was shared by Assistant Commissioner at the Migration Information Centre for Returnees at Kotoka International Airport, Madam Yaa Oppong Opoku-Agyeman, during a ceremony in Accra marking International Migrants Day.
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The event, organized by the SEWA Foundation in collaboration with the Ghana Airports Company Limited and other partners, was themed "Safe Migration: Building Bridges, Not Barriers."
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Madam Opoku-Agyeman highlighted that 2022 saw the highest number of deportations, with 3,028 Ghanaians returned, including 1,813 men and 1,215 women.
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According to her, in 2021, 2,881 Ghanaians were deported, and in 2020, the figure stood at 1,143.
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She added that in 2023, a total of 2,750 deportations were recorded, with 1,889 men and 861 women. As of November 2024, the total stands at 2,843, with 2,269 men and 574 women.
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"In 2023, we had 1889 males and 861 females and a total of 2750. And in 2024 up to November, we had 2,269 males and 574 females, making a total of 2,843," she added.
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She emphasized that while migration can significantly benefit Ghana through remittances, knowledge exchange, and personal development, irregular migration often leads to grave consequences.
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These include the risk of deportation, exploitation, forced labor, human trafficking, and even loss of life.
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"On the contrary, when migration is irregular in the form of stowaway, travelling through the desert, human trafficking, improper documentation, and irregular or overstayed, it could lead to the following, deportation or repatriation, loss of life, sexual exploitation, loss of vital body organs, depression, forced labour, detention, among others," she added.
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Assistant Commissioner at the Migration Information Centre for Returnees at Kotoka International Airport noted that the GIS is committed to assisting Ghanaians in traveling through the proper channels to safeguard their well-being.
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Secretary of the SEWA Foundation, Mrs. Selma Enyonam Tsatey, suggested that Ghana could learn from global best practices to create a more structured approach to labor export.
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She noted that by establishing proper training and recruitment programs, Ghana could create legitimate migration pathways for its youth.
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She also proposed reviewing visa policies and improving the support systems of Ghanaian embassies to ensure the public receives accurate and helpful information.
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"By designing and implementing robust training and recruitment programmes, Ghana can create legitimate pathways for our young people," she said.
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A migrant, Bright Opoku Appiah, who recently returned to Ghana, called on the government to cultivate an environment that encourages responsible migration, ensuring that Ghanaians abroad contribute positively to the country's economic development.
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