A three-day Regional Technical Conference on strengthening partnerships for effective border management was yesterday opened in Accra.

It brought together stakeholders to discuss strategies for bolstering Ghana’s border security and foster­ing regional cooperation.

It was organised by the Gha­na Immigration Service (GIS) in collaboration with the Interna­tional Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) to mark the closing of the “Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS Ghana)” project.

Funded by the European Union (EU) through the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, the SBS Ghana project, launched in 2020, is aimed at enhancing border security in Ghana by building the capacity of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), advancing data management and information sharing, as well as reinforcing collaboration with Ghana’s neighbouring countries.

As the project draws to a close in December 2024, the conference serves as a platform to review its achievements, discuss lessons learned, and chart a sustainable path forward for continued region­al border security efforts.

In his opening remarks, the Comptroller-General of Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Kwame Asuah Takyi, acknowledged the support received from the EU and ICMPD, highlighting the project’s contributions to reducing irregular migration and strengthening GIS’s ability to address cross-border security challenges.

“The project has largely met its intended objective of contributing to the reduction of irregular migra­tion in the country,” he said, noting that many border posts are now equipped with the necessary devic­es to combat such threats, and GIS officers have undergone extensive training on their use,” he said.

He further added that “This year’s event, the third in the series, continued to strengthen partner­ships, with representatives from Ghana’s neighbouring countries and various security agencies exchanging insights and developing innovative strategies to combat evolving border security threats.”

Mr Takyi emphasised that securing Ghana’s borders was not only vital for national security but also for facilitating legitimate trade, promoting regional integra­tion, and achieving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Free Movement Re­gime goals.

Reflecting on the future, he underscored GIS’s commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to make the service a model for migration management and nation­al security, expressing optimism for continued collaboration with regional partners to strengthen borders and create a safer, more secure, and interconnected region for all.

The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Irchad Ramiandrasoa Razaaly, noted that the SBS Ghana project had provided training for over 700 GIS officers in areas such as count­er-terrorism, human trafficking, and document verification, along with critical resources like radio communication tools, vehicles, and border-patrol motorbikes.

The Ambassador emphasised that border security was a shared regional interest in West Africa, which had been affected by rising threats from organised crime, traf­ficking, and extremism.

As the SBS Ghana project concludes, he said the EU was planning a new 7 million euro initiative to further support Ghana and its neighbours in border se­curity which was expected to start next year.