SMMIG: Strengthening Border and Migration Management in Ghana

Overall Objective: The objective of the project is to support the Government of Ghana (GoG) in strengthening her institutional and operational capacities to manage irregular migration flows.

Following the successful implementation of the first phase of the project, a second phase was approved with the following objectives:

1. Enhance the capacity of the GIS to combat irregular migration by strengthening the detection and investigation of document fraud at the regional level. This will involve the establishment of a fraud office in the Ashanti regional command, to serve the Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Western and Northern regions.
2. Strengthen the GIS response to irregular migration, through enhancing the capacity of its legal department to investigate, prosecute and secure convictions on document fraud and other migration related cases.
3. Strengthen GIS strategic and operational processes through the development of a new 2023-2027 strategic plan and revision of all SOPs in line with GIS current mandate.
4. Improve the institutional and professional capacities of the GIS in the area of Cybersecurity, through the establishment of a Cybersecurity unit, delivery of basic, advanced and on-the-job capacity building trainings and the provision of equipment.

Summary: Ghana is a country of origin, transit and destination, with irregular migratory flows from various countries in West Africa and other regions.  Ghana is also faced with the challenges of cross border crimes, which poses a threat to national security. The use of fraudulent identity is often a necessity for those that engage in cross border crimes such as trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, terrorism, smuggling of drugs, weapons and other contraband goods etc. Hence the need to strengthen the capacity of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to combat irregular migration and cross border crimes.

However, combatting a multifaceted problem such as irregular migration requires a holistic approach in addressing the different segments of the problem; from the frontline detection of travelers seeking to migrate irregularly based on fraudulent documents to the prosecution of perpetrators. This calls for a whole of government approach, with different government stakeholders working together in line with the integrated border management (IBM) concept. The SMMIG project adheres to this concept by encouraging intra - and inter-agency cooperation and collaboration. With the ultimate goal of contributing to safe, orderly, regular and well managed migration governance in Ghana.

Duration : 

  Phase I (December 2018 - November 2021)

  Phase II (August 2021 - July 2024)

Project Manager: Ms. Amala Obiokoye-Nwalor, Amala.nwalor@icmpd.org