ICT Centre established at GIS training school

By Afedzi Abdullah, GNA
Assin Fosu (C/R), April 26, GNA - The Ghana Immigration Service Training School at Assin Fosu in the Central Region now has an Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre to facilitate effective practical teaching and learning.

The 70-seater facility which was fully funded by the European Union (EU) at the cost of $130,511 is fitted with a projector for lectures and illustration, and connected to the internet.

The construction of the facility formed part of the Ghana Integrated Migration Management Approach (GIMMA) project which is being implemented jointly by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to respond to the complex migration challenges.

Addressing a gathering at the commissioning of the facility at the GIS Training School, Mr William Hanna, Ambassador of the European Union, said there are more migrants and refugees on the move within Africa than from Africa to Europe and an effective mechanism for human mobility to fit the 21st century was needed.

He said the EU was focused on addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, legal migration and mobility, protection and asylum, fight against irregular migration as well as return, re-admission and reintegration.

He said the right approach to developing common instruments and to effectively manage the complex phenomenon that concerns both Europeans and Africans was what led to the establishment of the ICT laboratory.

Mr Hanna asked all partners and other stakeholders including religious and traditional leaders as well as the media to work together to improve migration issues in the sub-Region.

Mr Kazumi Nakamura, Manager of the GIMMA project, said IT skills were cardinal in all areas of immigration services in this era, where migrant smugglers and human traffickers were increasingly employing sophisticated and modern technology in their operations.

He expressed the hope that the Centre would build the capacities of immigration officers and provide them with the requisite IT skills to meet the various demands towards better migration management to protect the country's borders more effectively.

He said the GIMMA project had three main objectives of building the capacity of officials at the forefront of migration management, information outreach on safe and legal migration; and the establishment of a national database for effective migration related policy making activities.

He commended the EU for their continued support to the Ghana Immigration Service.

GNA