IOM and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) launched this week (13/03) a nationwide training programme on the use of the newly developed GIS Legal Handbook. Thirteen trainings are being rolled out in 10 regions of the country between March and April 2017 for approximately 500 immigration officers.
The first of the five-day trainings began in the three northern regions of Ghana – the 3 Upper West, Upper East and Northern – and covers the constitution, immigration, security and investment-related laws, as well as relevant international protocols and conventions.
The GIS Legal Handbook, which is a compilation of all domestic and international legal frameworks relevant to the daily work of immigration officers, was developed under the Ghana Integrated Migration Approach (GIMMA) Project funded by the European Union. The aim of the Handbook and the trainings is to increase immigration officers’ knowledge of relevant legal frameworks, their interpretation and ultimately their implementation to effectively manage borders.
Ghana’s complex migratory trends – internal and international, regular and irregular – require GIS officers to be well versed in both national and international migration law. Immigration officers work with a myriad of national and international legal instruments and the Handbook provides them with an easy reference source for their day to day duties.
Many of the participants had never received legal training before and stated that the training has given them more confidence in dealing with legally difficult subjects and a better sense of how to identify potential issues.
The training module has been developed with structured sessions and practical exercises to aid trainers in effectively preparing participants on the usage of the Handbook. The development of the much-awaited Handbook, as well as the implementation of the training, was one of the priority needs identified in the GIS Strategic Plan 2010-2015.
