The European Union has supported four Civil Society Organisations with €400,000 to implement activities that will support and contribute to innovative approaches on mobility issues and border management in Ghana. This grant follows the first grant of €300,000 awarded to three Ghanaian CSOs in August 2021.
The grant forms part of The Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS Ghana) project, funded by European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF).
The Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS Ghana) project is implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), which takes a regional approach in its work to create efficient cooperation and partnerships along migration routes. The SBS Ghana project is in cooperation with the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
The specific objective is to contribute to the development of the long-term capability of border control authorities in Ghana; to update border management information and communication systems; and to ensure greater security for citizens and visitors, while guaranteeing the respect for the rule of law and human rights standards.
“The European Union recognises the relevant role played by CSOs in ensuring border management and border security, and is pleased to support some of them through the SBS Ghana project,” a statement from the European Union Delegation to Ghana said.
The Demand-Driven Facility (DDF) is the second component of the SBS Ghana project which seeks to work closely with civil society organisations, universities, research and training institutions, think tanks, traders’ organisations and media organisations etc. by inviting them to submit research and action projects highlighting innovative approaches and best practices on mobility and border management.
The four beneficiary organisations – BOK Africa Concern, Ghana Integrity Initiative, University of Education, Winneba and the University of Ghana – emerged as successful applicants from the second Demand-Driven Facility Call for Proposals launched in June 2021. Their activities will focus on cross-cutting issues ranging from border security, trafficking in human beings, anti-corruption, counter violent extremism, among others.
“BOK Africa Concern is extremely excited about this funding from the EU to collaborate with ICMPD in Strengthening Border Security (SBS) in the Bono and Bono East Regions through this grant scheme. This collaboration is a very important opportunity for us to continue to expand and improve support services in the area of migration, trafficking in persons and human smuggling, especially, in the Bono and Bono East Regions,” a statement added.
“…This project by researchers from the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), with funding support from the European Union through the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), seeks to research and implement innovative processes aimed at strengthening border security through training, public education and advocacy in Ghana,” the statement continued.
ACI Thomas Ewuntomah, acting Head of the Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Ghana Immigration Service, in congratulating the four beneficiaries mentioned that: “The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) welcomes the initiative introduced by ICMPD, and looks forward to more opportunities for increased knowledge-sharing. GIS is committed to working together with the beneficiaries, as well as all other stakeholders in coming up with innovative approaches on migration and border management in Ghana, for the greater good and security of the country”.
The Ghana Integrity Initiative said: “Migration policies have been heavily reliant on theories that project binaries and dichotomies, and have left out the important intervening role played by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in making migration a mutually beneficiary phenomenon.
It is against this background that Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) is extremely excited about our project ‘Preventing Migration-related Terrorism and Violent Extremism in Ghana: the Role of CSOs,’ which aims at a holistic view and approach to dealing with migration to Ghana from the sub-region because it presents an opportunity to bridge the aforementioned gap.
The European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (EUTF for Africa) aims to foster stability and to contribute to better migration management, including by addressing the root causes of destabilisation, forced displacement and irregular migration.
The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is an international organisation with 19 member-states and more than 350 staff members. Active in more than 90 countries worldwide, it takes a regional approach in its work to create efficient cooperation and partnerships along migration routes. Priority regions include Africa, Central and South Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Its three-pillar approach to migration management – structurally linking research, migration dialogues and capacity-building – contributes to better migration policy development worldwide. The Vienna-based organisation has a mission in Brussels, a regional office in Malta and project offices in several countries. In Africa, offices are located in Tunis (Tunisia), Abuja (Nigeria) and Accra (Ghana). Founded in 1993, ICMPD holds UN observer status.
The Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS Ghana) project is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), and implemented by ICMPD in cooperation with the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). The specific objective is to contribute to the development of the long-term capability of border control authorities in Ghana; to update border management information and communication systems; and to ensure greater security for citizens and visitors while guaranteeing the respect for the rule of law and human rights standards.
