A High Level Dialogue has been held in Accra to discuss issues of migration between the European Union (EU) and Ghana. The meeting brought togetherHon. Hanna Tetteh, Foreign Affairs Minister and her counterpart from Netherlands, Bert Koenders, who was in Ghana on behalfthe High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini.
Also present at the meeting for Ghana was the Interior Minister, Prosper Bani.
It is worthy to note that in 2014, there were more than 120,000 Ghanaian legal residents in the EU, with United Kingdom, Italy and Germany with the highest Ghanaian residents. There was also an additional 4,660 Ghanaians found to be illegally present in the EU.
Out of 4,285 return decisions in 2014, only 1,315 returns were effectively carried out, resulting in a return rate of 31%. The new data for 2015 seems to indicate a further deterioration with 29.5% return rate.
Thus this crucial and important meeting follows the Africa-EU Valletta Summit on Migration in November 2015 and the Meeting on the Implementation of the Valletta Action Plan by ECOWAS Member States earlier in the year as well as several preparatory meetings and technical discussions between the EU and Ghana.
The meeting afforded the parties to discuss the details and implementation of the 5 agreed pillars of the Valleta Declaration which includes paying critical attention to the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement and enhancing cooperation on legal migration and mobility.
The rest are reinforcing the protection of migrants and asylum seekers, preventing and fighting irregular migration, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings as well as working closely to improve cooperation on return, readmission and reintegration.
The adoption of the National Migration Policy (NMP) which provides a comprehensive framework to manage migration for Ghana’s sustainable development was also prime on the agenda of the high level dialogue. All parties to the meeting acknowledged and appreciated the coherence between the Valletta Declaration and Action Plan and the National Migration Policy for Ghana and agreed they constitute a good basis for concrete cooperation measures.
In addressing the root causes of migration, parties to the meeting acknowledged that the existing and continuouscooperation between Ghana and the EU and its Member States already addresses root causes through on-going programs and specific migration initiatives such as the Ghanaian Integrated Migration Management Approach (GIMMA).
The EU has recently launched a new initiative on employment and social protection worth € 31 million under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF). A € 6 million initiative to support projects jointly managed by Local Authorities and Civil Society Organizations to promote local economic development is also underway. These initiatives are targeted at creating jobs with special focus in regions more prone to migration.
The EU Trust Fund of € 1.8 billion has also been set up, following the Valetta Summit. Ghana is eligible for programs of a regional nature under Fund. Government is therefore considering channels to access funds under the EU Trust Fund in support of the new migration policies which would include wealth creation, improving the agriculture sector, national biometrics registration, border management, establishment of the National Migration Commission and research into the nature and scope of human trafficking into the EU countries, with the support and collaboration of the EU.
The EU and the Government of Ghana among others agreed on the need to significantly increase in the short-term the speed and efficiency of procedures for returning and receiving irregular migrants and the timely issuance of travel documents required for return. . The parties agreed to deepen the discussions at the technical level. Ghanaian authorities committed to organize pilot identification missions in EU Member States not later than June 2016.
The parties agreed to deepen the discussions at the technical level. Ghanaian authorities committed to organize pilot identification missions in EU Member States not later than June 2016.
By Ben David Twum – Ampofo