Accra – Every year on 18 December, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) celebrates International Migrants Day – a moment that invites us to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of millions of migrants worldwide. This year, under the theme “Act Now for a Better Tomorrow!”, IOM Ghana organized a series of activities in Accra and Paga, Upper East Region of Ghana with a focus on youth empowerment.

On this International Migrants Day, IOM aims to position migration as one of the solutions to global challenges, such as adapting to the impacts of climate change or providing better economic opportunities for communities. 

“In Ghana, for Migrants Day this year, we focus on our youth – they are the future, they are the ones who drive progress in their communities of origin and in communities of destination as the migrants of today and tomorrow. This year, we have teamed up with partners across the country to ensure that youth voices are heard,” said Fatou Diallo Ndiaye, UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana a.i. and IOM Ghana Chief of Mission. “IOM acknowledges the important contributions Government partners, NGOs, youth organizations, and UN agencies make to reaping the benefits of migration. It is only together and in close partnership, that we can ensure that no migrant is left behind in Ghana.”

On 14 to 15 December, as part of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL), funded by the Government of the United States of America, an event in Paga highlighted the importance of youth empowerment and social cohesion. Community Dialogue Platform members from Paga and Namoo engaged in Focus Group Discussions on community engagement for enhanced border security. A football tournament between Border Management Agencies and border community members took place to promote social cohesion through sports. The broader community was reached via radio engagements on opportunities for Ghanaian youth in the context of migration. And last but not least, Paga community members and migrants using that point of entry were offered free health screenings in collaboration with the Port Health unit of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).   

On 15 December, an event in Jamestown, Accra was all about youth empowerment. It was part of the EU-UN Building Migration Partnerships Programme in Ghana (BMP) project, funded by the European Union, and organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the GIZ and its Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development, DUNK Grassroots, as well as youth organizations Youth Advocates Ghana (YAG) and Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). The activities included a basketball competition with contributions from the Ghana Basketball Federation, returned migrants sharing their stories, and an interactive, participatory theatre performance by community organization, Act for Change. The activity brought together 150 community youth to celebrate and to shed light on safe and regular migration pathways and skills development.

On 18 December, IOM Ghana staff members across various office locations in Accra, including the Migration Health Assessment Centre (MHAC) and the Canada Visa Application Centre (CANVAC), joined the commemoration through an outreach activity in and around the offices, to raise awareness of this year’s International Migrants Day. Staff, together with IOM Ghana Goodwill Ambassador Kofi Kinaata and Ghanaian actress and Diasporan Ama K Abebrese, also engaged in radio discussions on Adom and CitiFM to raise awareness on the benefits of migration and urging everyone to #ActToday for a better tomorrow.

For more information, kindly contact Juliane Reissig, Public Information Officer, IOM Ghana by email: jreissig@iom.int