Migration sector players challenged to scrutinize travelling modes of recruitment agencies

The Chief Executive Officer of Migrant Watch, Mr Ato Amoah has challenged players in the migration sector to scrutinize the activities of recruitment agencies facilitating the travel of Ghanaians abroad, especially to the Middle East as well as the Gulf Regions in search of jobs.

Speaking at a media launch of the OSIWA funded reintegration project dubbed ‘Support to Female Migrant Workers Resilience and Social Protection in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic’ in Accra, Mr Amoah outlined that many female migrants are forced into jobs against their choice and passion making life very difficult and unbearable when they travel to such countries.

Mr Amoah thus called on government and stakeholders in the migration sector to institute vocational and technical training centres across the country to enable returnees and those seeking to embark on such ventures acquire skills to support themselves and their families.

“The emergence of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic across the world has also worsened the plight of female migrant workers,” he added.

Speaking on the treatments some Ghanaian migrants have to go through on foreign lands, he stated that some have suffered various forms of trauma as a result of the inhumane experiences and the unfriendly environments they have had to endure as domestic workers.

Launched under the theme, ‘Curbing Irregular Migration via Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Advocacy’ the new project by the NGO is to support returnee migrants as well as help curb irregular migration.

Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, the boss of COTVET who was present at the event, encouraged female domestic workers to acquire vocational skills which he said will help them become self-independent-entrepreneurs.

Head of Mission for International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Abibatou Wane-Fall on her part, disclosed her outfits engagement with some Ghanaian female returnees and how they are helping them set up vocational start-ups by providing resources.

This he said is to empower the returnees create jobs for themselves by engaging in income-generating activities whiles they integrate back into society.

Madam Pamela Codjo, who represented the Migrant Management Bureau of the Ghana Immigration Service, affirmed the state agency’s role in fighting activities of irregular migration and human trafficking and urged the public to report such cases to the Bureau.

Ms Sena Owusu-Gibson of the Human Trafficking Secretariat of the Gender Ministry advised women especially, to refrain from embarking on dangerous journeys to seek greener pastures whiles urging them to engage the secretariat for information on migration.

A representative of the Majority Leader of Parliament, Akwasi Awua Ababio who launched the project recounted some horrific accounts of female migrant workers which he said government was engaging the respective missions and embassies to have detailed data on the irregular migrants particularly in the Gulf regions and the Middle East.

“Hundreds of domestic workers were brought home through Ghana missions in abroad and have been reintegrated into their families,” he noted.

He advised Ghanaians especially females who want to travel to the Gulf countries in search of jobs to be guided by the rules and regulations governing recruitment of jobs in abroad.