UN reviews Ghana’s migrant workers

The UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and their families (CMW) has since September 1 been meeting in Geneva, Switzerland to review issues on Ghanaian migrant workers.

The review has come about because Ghana is among some 47 States that have signed onto the international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families.

For this reason, State parties are required to submit regular reports on the committee of 14 international independent human rights experts on how they are implementing the convention.

Major discussions include the country’s fragmented migration policy, up-to-date on deportations, policies to facilitate remittances and return migration, regulation of private recruitment agencies, cooperation with neighbouring countries to prevent illegal or clandestine movements of migrant workers, including organised smuggling.

The meeting is expected to end on September 5.

More than 232 million migrants, including migrant workers, refugees, asylum seekers, permanent immigrants and others, live and work in a country other than that of their birth or citizenship.

The Convention seeks to play a role in preventing and eliminating the exploitation of migrant workers, as well as ensuring the protection of their human rights.