Immigration Service bolsters border security with EU support

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has made substantial strides in enhancing border security through the ‘Strengthening Border Security in Ghana’ (SBS) project, which was launched in 2020 with funding from the European Union Trust Fund for Africa.

The initiative, conducted in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), was designed to address Ghana’s pressing border management challenges.

At a three-day regional conference on border management, Comptroller-General of the GIS, Kwame Asuah Takyi, highlighted the impact of the project in equipping the GIS with essential tools and training to tackle various security threats.

He emphasized that the project has notably improved the agency’s capacity to combat issues such as smuggling, human trafficking, terrorism, money laundering, and document fraud.

 According to Takyi, a needs assessment conducted at the start identified these as critical areas requiring attention, and the SBS project was subsequently tailored to address these findings.

“The project has substantially met its objective of contributing to the reduction of irregular migration in the country,” Takyi stated. “Many border posts are now equipped with specialized devices, and our officers have received training on their effective use, significantly enhancing their capacity to detect and manage irregular migration and cross-border crimes.” He further noted that the collaboration has strengthened regional partnerships, creating a foundation for sustainable improvements in Ghana’s border management infrastructure and advancing the country’s security strategy.

Speaking at the event, EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Irchad Razaaly, commended the SBS project’s achievements, sharing a personal anecdote to highlight the effectiveness of the partnership. “Yesterday, I visited the airport, and several of your colleagues in green recognized me,” he recounted, attributing this to the deepening cooperation between the EU and the GIS. “It’s not just recognition; it shows we are accomplishing something meaningful together.”

Ambassador Razaaly emphasized the importance of strengthened border management in today’s interconnected world, saying, “Strengthening border management, as you do daily, is crucial to our collective security.” He praised the SBS project for fostering operational exchanges between authorities and experts in the region, acknowledging the presence of representatives from Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Burkina Faso at the conference. “Our collaboration addresses shared challenges, especially in a region facing instability and insecurity,” he remarked, stressing the joint effort to improve border security in West Africa and with Europe.

Highlighting the project’s accomplishments, Razaaly revealed that over 700 Ghanaian officers have been trained in contingency planning, trafficking prevention, counter-terrorism, and document verification. He lauded the strengthened interagency collaboration, noting the establishment of joint mobile teams and the development of standard operating procedures as key outcomes of the project.

“Through this project, we’ve enhanced communication by providing radio communication devices, and we’ve strengthened border patrol capabilities with pickups, motorcycles, and document examination tools,” he added, commending GIS officers for their frontline role in securing Ghana’s borders.

Mr. Razaaly’s remarks underscored the project’s success in bolstering the GIS’s capacity and providing the tools needed to enhance Ghana’s border security, ensuring that immigration officers remain at the forefront of efforts to safeguard the nation’s borders.