The European Union (EU) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have held a two-day orientation programme on the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration.

The training for some selected Officers of the Western Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) seeks to them with the skills and expertise in awareness-raising activities to undertake and manage information and campaigns.

The European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) funded Initiative is also to upgrade the skills and methodologies of participants for daily sensitization and outreach programmes and activities.

Participants are expected to learn best practices to promote safe, orderly and regular migration from the Western Region.

In his opening remarks, DCI Dr Prosper Prince Delali Asima, Western Regional Commander, said technology was central to daily lives and that it would be difficult for the officers to perform their tasks without any knowledge of ICT.

“It gives me joy that IT capacity building has been added to the two-day training to enable you to use the tools to undertake and manage information campaigns,” he emphasized.

He, therefore, urged the participants to take the orientation seriously for the successful execution of their core mandate.

He expressed the hope that the officers would be equipped with Communication for Development (C4D) tools for awareness-raising activities and facilitate behaviour change among potential and actual migrants in Ghana.

Madam Pooja Bhalla, EUTF Project Manager, stated that effective collaboration with the GIS was essential for achieving the common goal of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migration Protection and Reintegration to ensure the migration was safer, more informed and better governed for both migrants and their communities.

She said the dissemination of information on safe and legal migration was critical, adding that IT has a major impact on information flow and helps to monitor performance.

She said the programme was designed to be practical with exercises to provide skills, encourage participation and exchange ideas and urged participants to take a keen interest in the discussions.

Madam Bhalla commended the IOM and the EU for their continuous support of reintegration of migrants at both the individual and community levels.

She expressed the hope that the discussions and the ideas shared would be applied effectively in the management of migrants.