General News of Friday, 6 October 2017

Source: atinkaonline.com

Government to use effective policies to tackle issues of migration – Bawumia

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia

Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has hinted that government is monitoring some effective policies to tackle issues of migration and mobility as it has increasingly become a global concern.

According to him, Ghana is hugely confronted with both internal and external migration, issues of urbanization and internal displacement, boarder issues amongst others. And that people migrate due to exclusion in economic participation and production process.

Speaking at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, ISSER at the University of Ghana during an international conference on migration and mobility – new frontiers for research and policy, he submitted that migration also occur as the citizenry feel excluded from education, infrastructural, health care in particular communities.

“…. I think without a doubt that people who feel excluded are one way or the other alienated from education, infrastructural or health care in particular communities and are more likely to move out of these communities whether is South-South or South-North”.

The two-day programme is being organized by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, together with African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and United Nations University (UNU-WIDER).

Migration and mobility, he explained are major human development issues and are high on the global, African and Ghanaian agenda, thus the conference highlights key concerns like the labour migration, migrant smuggling, refuges and asylum seekers.

The conference’s focus is on the South-South migration is larger in terms of the number of migrants involved.

Meanwhile, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana and Secretary General, ARUA, mentioned is hosting renowned researchers of migration to inform policymakers about what migrants encounter and measures to be put in place for them upon their return.

He added that migration on the African continent is critical and ought to be addressed in terms of immigration policies, regulations – taking into perspective the South –African xenophobic attacks.

Academic Director at the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Ingrid Palmary, who gave the keynote address on global and local influences on policymaking, admonished that polices should ensure the following: who are the policy for, who are the role players, political environment.