The Chief Director at the Ministry of the Interior, Mrs Adelaide Anno-Kumi, has stated the government has taken significant steps to strengthen border management, including funding the Ghana Immigration Service and other border management organizations to enhance border control through intelligence gathering and collaboration with neighbouring countries.
The Minister said at a border management and community engagement roundtable in Accra.
She noted that smuggling of small guns and light weapons, drugs and human trafficking and the actions of non-state armed organizations across Ghana’s borders have all recently caused alarm, adding that those activities have impact on border communities, particularly vulnerable members of society.
According to her, the border management is crucial to maintaining internal security. Due to that, it is a key component of Ghana’s National Migration Policy.
In addition to strengthening the ability of government agencies on migration to manage mixed migrant flows and combat immigration crime, border management aims to prevent irregular migration, human trafficking, smuggling and other criminal activities, Mrs Anno-Kumi noted.
She said the government recognizes the importance of border communities to the maintenance of land boundaries.
To maintain the security of both the borders and the communities that surround them, Mrs Anno-Kumi observed that it was important for the border communities and the security services to develop a relationship based on mutual trust and collaboration.
Dzifa Hukporti, ISD
