Cross-border migration is a human reality, incidence, and phenomenon which is inevitable. Some migrate either for economic, climatic, or political reasons. It can also be out of peer and family pressures, or for other reasons best known to the migrant. Despite the good reason a migrant might have, that instance he/she attempts to cross the boundary of his/her country of origin to another without the requisite documents exposes him/her to scrutiny, and if he/she is found wanting, the authorities then repatriate the person in question. Very often, this decision is taken with a pinch of salt.
It is in this light that Caritas Ghana, with sponsorship from the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), went on a sensitization and community engagement tour in the Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana, from the 27th of March to the 31st of March, 2023. This tour forms part of the Strengthening Actions for Enabling Border Security for Human Mobility Project being funded by the European Union.
Basically, this sensitization and community engagement was done through radio presentations and discussions.
1. Upper East Region: 27th – 28th March, 2023 – NABIINA FM at Paga
2. Upper West Region: 30th – 31st March, 2023 – Nandom FM at Nandom
At Paga, the presentation and discussions were facilitated by the Upper East Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Immigration Service, DSI Martin Soyeh, in the Frafra dialect. He was assisted by Mr. Luqman Tuferu, a returned migrant from Spain (aka. returnee). At Nandom, it was facilitated by the Commander of the Nandom Command, Mr. Mohammed Razak, in the Dagare dialect. He was assisted by a junior officer, Ms. Anita Kantapir, and a returnee from Germany, Mr. Abdulai Seidu. With both events, the communities participated through phone-ins.
The main objectives of the radio programs were to sensitize the target communities about the dangers of irregular migration, the laws regarding migration in general, and to educate the public on the difference between smuggling and trafficking, and their types or forms. The radio was used in order to reach out to many people as possible. It served as a platform for listeners to also share their experiences, and an opportunity for Caritas Ghana, through its Research Officer, who led the tour, to share the role of Caritas Ghana and other CSOs to effectively and humanely manage irregular migration and support returnees.
In all, based on the feedback from the call-ins, the program ended up being informative, educative, and interesting, especially with the presence of returned migrants and their stories about their journey through the desert to Europe.
