A day’s workshop has been organised by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in Accra, to review and validate a draft training manual to guide officers of the Service in investigations.
Participants included; members of the National Immigration Management Committee (NIMC), officers from the National Headquarters, Greater Accra Regional Headquarters and the Kotoka International Airport Regional Commands.
The Investigative Training Manual is in line with efforts put in place to achieve the tenets of the Sustainable Development Goal 10.7, which advocates for the facilitation of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.
With the manual, the Service will be better equipped to investigate and prosecute migration related offense, thereby enhancing effective and efficient migration management of Ghana.
The session, which was held in Accra, is part of phase II of the Strengthening Border and Migration Management in Ghana (SMMIG) project and funded by the Government of Denmark and implemented by the ICMPD.
Addressing officers at the review session, the Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Kwame Asuah Takyi (Esq.), mentioned that the GIS in collaboration with ICMPD has, over the years, trained Officers in the area of Investigation to be able to conduct investigations professionally to support prosecutions in the Law Court.
“Considering the scope and reach of GIS, there is the need to train more Officers in investigation to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Service to effectively investigate migration management issues. The GIS Investigative Training Manual will ensure uniformity in terms of delivery and content”, he stated.
According to Lawyer Takyi, the manual will also outline best practices, procedures and techniques to ensure consistency and quality of investigations and also help in the delivery of training of investigators for the Service.
The Head, ICMPD Ghana and SMMIG Project Manager , Madam Amala Obiokoye Nwalu expressed gratitude to the government of Denmark in providing funding support, which have aided the ICMPD and GIS in completing a number of training initiatives and bring to culmination the draft and review of the proposed manual.
Madam Obiokoye highlighted various trainings that have been held preceding the review session including; the training of thirty Investigators at Assin Fosu, advance training of selected officers at the Police Detective Academy in Accra and the training of Investigative Trainers in Koforidua for the Service.
According to her, since the inception of the SMMIG initiative, the Service has made significant strides in the areas of investigation and prosecution.
Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Felix Mawusi (Rtd), the Consultant who had hitherto initiated the process of drafting the document with input from the Service, mentioned that the document would be self-instructive and requested all present to contribute their ideas to make the document meaningful.
