The Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development (GEC) has been inaugurated in Accra.
The GEC is based on the former Ghanaian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration, and will contribute to development-oriented management of migration by bridging the existing information gaps as well as building capacities of state and non-state stakeholders.
Crucially, it will provide counselling and information on labour market demands in the country, as well as opportunities and conditions of regular labour migration.
As part of a three-day visit to Ghana, the Centre was inaugurated by the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze; the German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Hubertus Heil; Director General of the International Labour Organisation, Gilbert Houngbo; and Ghana’s Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah.
While the visit centred on topics such as development-oriented labour migration and decent work conditions in global supply chains, both sides also used the occasion to sign a Declaration of Intent on the ‘Strengthening of Development Cooperation in the Field of Migration’.
In a statement, Mr. Ignatius Baffour Awuah noted that the ultimate goal of creating decent job opportunities for the teeming Ghanaian youth remains non-negotiable, and therefore he believes the move will make irregular migration, among others, a thing of the past.
German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze, reiterated that the Centre will reduce the challenges of skilled labour emigration – and ensure that people who are willing to emigrate are better supported in their home countries.
He added that aside from encouraging safe, regular and orderly migration, managing migration properly offers enormous potential for economic development for mutual benefit.
“The existing Ghanaian-German migration advisory centre has so far mainly assisted Ghanaian returnees in the area of reintegration. We want to turn this one-way street into a two-way street and further develop the Centre for our mutual benefit. We want the Centre to stand for a modern, holistic understanding of migration, with Germany not just training and attracting workers for our labour market but also providing support and training to foster economic development in Ghana and helping to create jobs there. The GEC will address migration issues in a more comprehensive approach to harness the potential of regular migration for Ghana, the migrants and the countries of destination,” he said.
The Centre
The Ghanaian-European Centre will address people who want to migrate to Germany, Europe or within their region to work or study. It will offer advice and help people receive qualifications through upskilling or vocational training.
Taking a comprehensive approach to migration, the Centre will also be a contact point for returned people from Germany, Europe or other countries, who need support for sustainable reintegration in Ghana.
The Centre will be firmly embedded in existing national structures to harness synergies and work closely with national partners – such as the Ghanaian Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR), civil society and local institutions – to support them in promoting development-oriented governance of labour migration.
Co-financed by the European Union, the Centre is now placed in a greater context of a European partnership with Ghana.
