As of November 2024, a total of 12,646 Ghanaians have been deported from various countries over the past five years, according to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

The deportees include 8,186 males and 4,459 females.

The majority of deportations occurred from countries including Libya, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Canada.

Madam Yaa Oppong Opoku-Agyeman, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration in charge of the Migration Information Centre for Returnees at Kotoka International Airport (KIA), disclosed this during an event in Accra to commemorate International Migrants Day.

The SEWA Foundation organised the event in collaboration with the Ghana Airports Company Limited and other partners.

It was on the theme "Safe Migration: Building Bridges, Not Barriers."

Madam Agyeman noted that 2022 saw the highest number of deportations, with 3,028 Ghanaians being returned, including 1,813 males and 1,215 females.

She noted that in 2020, some 1,143 deportations were recorded, with 657 being males and 485 being females, while 2,881 deportations made up of 1557 males and 1324 females were recorded in 2021.

"In 2023, we had 1889 males and 861 females and a total of 2750. And in 2024 up to November, we have had 2,269 males and 574 females, making a total of 2,843," she added

Madam Agyeman said that responsible migration contributed to national development through remittances, knowledge transfer, personal development, and the representation and honour of the host country on the international stage.

"On the contrary, when migration is irregular in the form of stowaway, travelling through the desert, human trafficking, improper documentation, and irregular or overstayed, it could lead to the following, deportation or repatriation, loss of life, sexual exploitation, loss of vital body organs, depression, forced labour, detention, among others," she added.

She reiterated the commitment of GIS to support Ghanaians' travel through the proper channel outside the shores of this country.

Mrs. Selma Enyonam Tsatey, Secretary of the SEWA Foundation, said Ghana could learn from best practices and become a top exporter of labour by equipping youth for opportunities outside the country.

"By designing and implementing robust training and recruitment programmes, Ghana can create legitimate pathways for our young people," she said.

She called for the reevaluation of visa policies to make traveling easier and enhance the support capabilities of Ghanaian embassies to provide accurate information.

Bright Opoku Appiah, a returning Ghanaian traveller, called on the government to create a conducive environment for citizens to migrate and contribute to the development of the local economy.

The general theme for the commemoration of this year's event was "The Human and Labour Rights of Workers Must Be Respected and Protected Across All Borders."