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[ 2017-05-23 ] 
Ghana needs measures to stop illegal migration - Dr Ocansey
A renowned International Migration Expert has
noted that Ghana needs crucial steps both in the
long and short term, to reduce the nation’s
growing migrant issues.
Dr Princess Ocansey said, "7000 Ghanaian
undocumented migrants are being deported from the
US back to Ghana. Especially housemaids are being
deported daily from the Arab Gulf States, we must
sit up," she said in an interview in Accra.
The Founder of SOSJobs4women Ghana, said, "The
economic and social implications of these
deportations are vast, considering that migrants
remit over three billion dollars annually home to
their families in Ghana.
"Clearly, we cannot afford to let these
deportations continue to further deepen an already
grave issue of unemployment in Ghana."
"Though the scenarios look alarming they can be
resolved to the benefit of the nation and can be
mostly turned around, with all hands on deck, to
enable Ghana and Ghanaians enjoy the great
benefits of migrating legally overseas," she
said.
She said for the long term, Ghana urgently needed
a migration policy explaining that migration
hardly ever goes well without a strong Government
policy to guard and protect migrants from a
sending country, such as Ghana to receiving
countries such as the USA, Canada, EU and the Gulf
Arab States.
“On a short term, a legal framework for
migration from many countries like Mauritius,
Philippines, Uganda, Ethiopia or Kenya can be
immediately adopted
by Ghana and implemented through a Memorandum of
Understanding with key receiving countries
especially, Saudi Arabia and other GCC Arab
nations where Ghanaians continue to lodge
complaints at alarming rates.”
Dr Ocansey said Ghana must look into negotiating
jobs with popular receiving countries like the USA
and Canada with seasonal job programmes.
These include USA H2b and H2a visa jobs, JI visa
trainee programmes with the USA to provide
seasonal job opportunities, which are normally not
in
competition with the job aspirations of Americans
but are good opportunities and will provide great
training for Ghanaians and windows of
opportunities for circular legal migration.
She noted that it was in the absence of known
legal channels that illegal migration thrive.
Dr Ocansey called for the strengthening of
licensed agencies, promote legal migration while
condemning illegal migration through major public
campaigns.
Ghana has 52 licensed and growing agencies for
legal migration. In addition, there is an
important body, The Ghana Association for Private
Employment Agencies “GHAPEA” operating under a
12point code of conduct to ensure legal
migration.
She said Government must continue to strengthen
GHAPEA by publishing the names of legally licensed
companies, as channels for legal migration.
“Media houses must join forces with GHAPEA to
provide public awareness campaigns to save lives.
“GHAPEA plans to launch a national campaign the
‘Face of Legal Migration’, which media houses
are encouraged to support as part of their social
responsibility agenda.
“Government must eradicate illegal migration by
putting measures in place at each point of the
migration process from police report acquisition
and to ensure exit permits from the labour
department occurs as a pre requisite to visa
acquisition. All agencies of Government and
private sector must be determined to weed out
illegal operators.
“Government must put in place labour attaches at
key receiving countries where there are issues for
monitoring and evaluation.
The Philippines has Labour attaches at each
receiving country, who monitor migrants and have
immigration lawyers attached to their embassies
overseas,” she said.
Dr Ocansey said Ghana must place an immediate ban
on direct to homes housemaid schemes, whilst
licensed agencies must be regulated to deal only
with other institutions in the receiving
countries.
This, she said provided a framework to handle
noncompliance to signed contract terms and
conditions.
She said: “Direct to home maid service pays more
money to the agents but are the worst forms of
migration to the detriment of the migrant.
“A majority of the issues of domestic workers
arise from illegal agents who engage primarily in
direct to home maid services with zero oversight
and protection to the migrant once she arrives in
the receiving country, where she can easily be
subjected to slavelike conditions with zero
oversight.”
Dr Ocansey said each worker leaving Ghana to work
overseas must take responsibility to ensure that
he or she had signed a job offer with agreeable
decent terms and conditions.
“Many times Ghanaians travel overseas on
visitor’s visas hoping to look for a job upon
arrival. They arrive without the requisite
documents and proper permits. Most, unable to
afford a ticket back to Ghana, resort to an
undocumented and mostly dangerous life,” she
said.
Dr Ocansey said the nation must declare war
against illegal migration whilst the deportees
must be provided social counselling services to
prevent depression and suicides.
“Each family must ensure their wards are
migrating legally and must ask key questions such
as? is the agency taking you licensed? What are
terms of your contract? Have you signed an offer
letter? Does the ward have the correct visa?
“The pastures are greener overseas only through
legal migration. Outside of that, it is mostly a
door to horror.
“Ghanaians are warned to venture to travel to
work overseas only through licensed international
job placement agencies. If in doubt, contact the
office of the Chief Labour Officer of the Ministry
of Employment and Labour Relations,” she
advised. Source - GNA
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