Border management stakeholders from five West African countries have converged on Accra to discuss border security initiatives for effective control in the sub-region. 

They include immigration services, police, customs and gendarmerie from Ghana, Togo, Cote d’ Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Benin.

Also participating in the workshop are international partners, experts in border security and migration management, as well as representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The three-day workshop, which opened yesterday, will feature case studies from the various African countries in the area of border management and security, measures to enhance cross-border cooperation, regional security, collaboration with border communities to enhance national security, among others.

It was jointly organised by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and the European Union (EU).

The workshop is on the theme, “Strengthening partnerships for effective border management strategies, lessons learned and future directions”.

It also served as a platform to wind up on a project that aimed at enhancing Ghana's border security by building capacity and improving regional cooperation, with the end goal of reducing irregular migration and cross-border crimes

Dubbed ‘Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS Ghana)’, the project was launched in 2020 and will end this year. 

Border management

Opening the workshop, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kwame Asuah Takyi, said with the evolving threats, technological advancements and shifting global dynamics, effective border management had become more crucial than ever. 

As a result, he said relevant stakeholders in the border management space needed to be active participants in this space to effect the required migration management change.

Highlighting the importance of secure borders in safeguarding national security, facilitating legitimate trade, travel and fostering regional cooperation, he said stakeholders must explore effective strategies for addressing the vulnerabilities and peculiar challenges facing land borders to ensure that legitimate movement of people and goods was facilitated, while maintaining secure and controlled borders.

“Let us work together to address the complex challenges we face as a region and create a safer, more secure and more interconnected region for all.

“Together, we can deliver the vision of having a well-coordinated, integrated, sustainable and inclusive future for all in the management of our borders in the interest of our respective countries to contribute meaningfully to the management of migration for national development,” he said.

The Comptroller-General of Immigration said the service was committed to working together with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the service became a model immigration service for migration management and national security, adding: “We will leave no stone unturned in nipping irregular migration in the bud”.

EU

The European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Irchard Razaaly, commended the GIS for its crucial role at the borders, adding that they were often the first responders in security matters.

He said the EU had since the commencement of the project provided not only training but also essential equipment to enhance border control, including communication devices and mobility tools.

Moving forward, he announced that the EU was working with the International Centre for Migration Policy (ICMPD) for a new €7-million programme aimed at further strengthening border management at the regional level.

This project, he said, was just the beginning of a new chapter in the EU and Ghana cooperation.

Mr Razaaly expressed the EU's commitment to supporting Ghana and West Africa in enhancing border security.

For her part, the ICMPD Head of  West Africa Region, Mojisola Sodeinde, said effective border management was not just a national imperative for security but a regional commitment to uphold the values of safe mobility and trade facilitation.

In line with that, he urged the participants to share their insights and experiences generously and explore innovative approaches to address the shared challenges in the region.