The Media Response, a Non-Governmental Organisation has concurrently launched a training manual for journalists, database and mobile application on migration to enhance accurate and up-to-speed information dissemination on free movement of persons.

The migration support tools were launched as part of a Media Training and Public Sensitisation on Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Free Movement of Persons and Migration project, within the framework of the project “Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration”.

The “Training Manual on Migration and Free Movement for Investigative Journalists and Media Practitioners,” is a compendium of knowledge materials derived from the project and migrants rights.

Mr Stephen Tindi, a Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism and the Consultant who developed the training manual said it contained eight modules, touching on topics such as; migration concepts, data sources and the investigative journalist.

He added that there were modules, which looked at ethics and best practices in investigative journalism on migration; and usage and management of social media for effective reporting on migration.

Other modules, Mr Tindi said included; migration and development as well as designing a public awareness campaign on free movement and migration adding that the training manual was forwarded by Dr Roland Affail Monney, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association.

The mobile application was developed to aid journalists in reporting on migration issues from the field without spending so much time before disseminating the information to relevant stakeholders.

Mr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, the App Developer said the app could assist in filing a report and attaching multimedia files with links to International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Free Movement of persons and Migration and West Africa (FMM West Africa) information portals.

He said users including; Government officials would have a platform to directly inform migrants and also get access to up-to-date migration data besides the ability to access the counter-trafficking hotlines.

The application will be serving as a database on issues relating to migration to aid journalists and relevant stakeholders to make informed policy decisions on free movement of persons within the sub-region.

Among other benefits, the app will help to understand the extent of mobility of migrants and ensure their linkage to services, helping to improve information collection on migrants.

Speaking on the project, Mr Samuel Dodoo, the Executive Director for Media Response said the two-year project, which started in May 2017 was scheduled to end in May 2019.

He said the project had objectives of increasing understanding of ECOWAS protocols and migration issues among journalists as well as improving public awareness on free movement of persons and migrant’s right.

Mr Dodoo commended the partners and donors of the project and called for the extension of the project to cover more regions in the country, since the current phase only trained journalists in four out of 16 regions in Ghana.

The project was jointly funded by the European Union and the ECOWAS Commission, with technical support from the IOM, FMM West Africa, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and the International Labour Organisation.

The partners of the project were; the Ghana News Agency, the Ghana Journalist Association, the Information Services Department (ISD), and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association.