Immigration & Border Governance

Reinforcing the national capacity of the existing network of border posts to effectively carry out their mandated functions of facilitation and control of entry and exit into Ghana is crucial for the development in Ghana.  

Good border management facilitates trade leading to economic growth while simultaneously combating cross-border and immigration-related criminal activities, such as human smuggling which are inimical to development. In addition, border posts and border regions are significant for development when it comes to managing emerging regional dynamics that could threaten sustained economic growth such as public health emergencies of an international concern, violent extremism and cross-border humanitarian crises.  

IOM Ghana provides support to improve the effectiveness of the existing network of border posts in order to ensure that border posts can carry out their mandated functions effectively, including: trade facilitation; protection of travellers’ human rights; and responding to emerging challenges to border security. This also includes reinforcing the resilience of border communities in order to strengthen the continuum between security, humanitarian assistance and long-term stability in border communities in Ghana. 

Key actions:

Infrastructure

IOM Ghana works to improve infrastructure at the network of existing border posts, through the construction of purpose-built border posts and provision of equipment, including communications equipment and the application of information technology.

Migration data

IOM Ghana works to enhance capacity to process and analyze migration data, as well as management of traveler identities, through creating a network of border management information systems (BMIS) which digitize data collection and passenger processing at land borders. Additionally, the collected data contributes towards gaining a complete understanding of the country’s migration dynamics and mobility patterns, and serve as a basis for the development of well-founded and evidence-based migration policies.

Community dialogue

IOM Ghana works to increase dialogue between community members, local authorities and Border Management Agencies (BMAs) in order to establish a proactive relationship between authorities and border communities, as well as between cross-border communities, in which security issues are identified and ownership of regional challenges is built through enhanced trust.

Institutional frameworks

IOM works to strengthen institutional frameworks and operational guidance to respond to border-related emergencies, including public health emergencies of international concern and cross-border humanitarian crises, through the usage of established IOM frameworks on Humanitarian Border Management and Health, Border and Mobility Management.

Capacity building

IOM works to reinforce capacity of relevant institutions on evidence gathering, investigation, prosecution, strengthening of data analysis and intelligence gathering.

Coordination and information sharing

Increase coordination and information sharing amongst stakeholders to combat transnational organized crime, including Smuggling of Migrants (SoM), trafficking in persons (TiP) and travel document fraud.

Integrated Border Management

Facilitate the implementation of the Integrated Border Management concept encompassing national and international coordination and cooperation among all relevant authorities involved in border management to establish effective, efficient and coordinated border management. Integrated Border Management promotes information sharing, especially for intelligence gathering and exchange around transnational organized crime, joint capacity building initiatives, enhancement of physical and communication networking infrastructures, joint responses to cross-border humanitarian crises, common border community engagement approaches, amongst others.