\n
A renowned International Migration Expert has noted that Ghana\u00a0needs crucial steps both in the long and short term, to reduce the nation\u2019s growing migrant issues<\/p>\n
Dr\u00a0Princess Ocansey said, “7000 Ghanaian undocumented migrants are being deported from the US back to Ghana. Especially housemaids are being deported daily from the \u00a0Arab Gulf States, we must sit up,” she said\u00a0in an interview in Accra.<\/p>\n
The Founder of SOSJobs4women Ghana, said, “The economic and social implications of these deportations are vast, considering that migrants remit over three billion dollars annually home to their families in Ghana.<\/p>\n
“Clearly, we cannot afford to let these deportations continue to further deepen an already grave issue of unemployment in Ghana.”<\/p>\n
“Though the scenarios look alarming they can be resolved to the benefit of the nation and can be mostly turned around, with all hands on deck, to enable Ghana\u00a0and Ghanaians enjoy the great benefits of migrating legally overseas,” she said.<\/p>\n
She said for the long term, Ghana\u00a0urgently needed a\u00a0migration policy explaining that migration hardly ever goes well without a\u00a0strong Government policy to guard and protect migrants from a\u00a0sending country, such as Ghana\u00a0to receiving countries such as the USA, Canada, EU and the Gulf Arab States.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn a\u00a0short term, a\u00a0legal framework for migration from many countries like Mauritius, Philippines, Uganda, Ethiopia\u00a0or Kenya\u00a0can be immediately adopted<\/p>\n
by Ghana\u00a0and implemented through a\u00a0Memorandum of Understanding with key receiving countries especially, Saudi Arabia\u00a0and other GCC \u00adArab nations where Ghanaians continue to lodge complaints at alarming rates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Ocansey said Ghana\u00a0must look into negotiating jobs with popular receiving countries like the USA and Canada\u00a0with seasonal job programmes.<\/p>\n
These include USA H2b and H2a\u00a0 visa\u00a0jobs, JI visa\u00a0trainee programmes with the USA to provide seasonal job opportunities, which are normally not in<\/p>\n
competition with the job aspirations of Americans but are good opportunities and will provide great training for Ghanaians and windows of opportunities for circular legal migration.<\/p>\n
She noted that it was in the absence of known legal channels that illegal migration thrive.<\/p>\n
Dr Ocansey called for the strengthening of licensed agencies, promote legal migration while condemning illegal migration through major public campaigns.<\/p>\n
Ghana\u00a0has 52 licensed and growing agencies for legal migration. In addition, there is an important body, The Ghana\u00a0Association for Private Employment Agencies \u201cGHAPEA\u201d operating under a\u00a012\u00adpoint code of conduct to ensure legal migration.<\/p>\n
She said Government must continue to strengthen GHAPEA by publishing the names of legally licensed companies, as channels for legal migration.<\/p>\n
\u201cMedia\u00a0houses must join forces with GHAPEA to provide public awareness campaigns to save lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cGHAPEA plans to launch a\u00a0 national campaign the \u2018Face of Legal Migration\u2019, which media houses are encouraged to support as part of their social responsibility agenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernment must eradicate illegal migration by putting measures in place at each point of the migration process from police report acquisition and to ensure exit permits from the labour department occurs as a\u00a0 pre\u00ad requisite to visa acquisition. All agencies of Government and private sector must be determined to weed out illegal operators.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernment must put in place labour attaches at key receiving countries where there are issues for monitoring and evaluation.<\/p>\n
The Philippines has Labour attaches at each receiving country, who monitor migrants and have immigration lawyers attached to their embassies overseas,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dr Ocansey said Ghana\u00a0must place an immediate ban on direct to homes housemaid schemes, whilst licensed agencies must be regulated to deal only with other institutions in the receiving countries.<\/p>\n
This, she said provided a\u00a0framework to handle non\u00adcompliance to signed contract terms and conditions.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cDirect to home maid service pays more money to the agents but are the worst forms of migration to the detriment of the migrant.<\/p>\n
\u201cA majority of the issues of domestic workers arise from illegal agents who engage primarily in direct to home maid services with zero oversight and protection to the migrant once she arrives in the receiving country, where she can easily be subjected to slave\u00adlike conditions with zero oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Ocansey said each worker leaving Ghana\u00a0to work overseas must take responsibility to ensure that he or she had signed a\u00a0job offer with agreeable decent terms and conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany times Ghanaians travel overseas on visitor\u2019s visas hoping to look for a\u00a0job upon arrival. They arrive without the requisite documents and proper permits. Most, unable to afford a\u00a0ticket back to Ghana, resort to an undocumented and mostly dangerous life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dr Ocansey said the nation must declare war against illegal migration whilst the deportees must be provided social counselling services to prevent depression and suicides.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach family must ensure their wards are migrating legally and must ask key questions such as\u037e is the agency taking you licensed? What are terms of your contract? Have you signed an offer letter? Does the ward have the correct visa?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pastures are greener overseas only through legal migration. Outside of that, it is mostly a\u00a0door to horror.<\/p>\n
\u201cGhanaians are warned to venture to travel to work overseas only through licensed international job placement agencies. If in doubt, contact the office of the Chief Labour Officer of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations,\u201d she advised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A renowned International Migration Expert has noted that Ghana\u00a0needs crucial steps both in the long and short term, to reduce the nation\u2019s growing migrant issues Dr\u00a0Princess Ocansey said, “7000 Ghanaian undocumented migrants are being deported from the US back to Ghana. Especially housemaids are being deported daily from the \u00a0Arab Gulf States, we must sit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-392854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\n
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