The Ghana Immigration Service has attributed the increase in migration of Ghanaians to the Gulf States and other western countries for greener pastures to economic hardship in Ghana.
A report from the Immigration Service indicated that over 2,000 women have so far departed from Ghana to seek greener in the Gulf States.
Investigations have also revealed that some local agencies operating as recruitment agencies in these gulf states; Kuwait, Qatar,Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, promise the respective ladies lucrative jobs.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the Public Relations Office of the Ghana Immigration Service, Francis Palm Deti explained that “those trying to migrate are basically for economic reasons and they think that going out there will make their life better or meaningful.”
Deti revealed that most of them depart to other countries because they believe “there are job opportunities out there which they intend to take advantage of.”
Asked whether the Immigration Service was considering issuing an outright ban to halt the trend, Palm Deti said it might be impossible to do so since Ghana is a “democratic state.”
“I have a difficulty thinking that we can just place an outright ban on the free movement of people. Individuals decide where they want to go and what they think it is good and there is this freedom of choice and freedom of movement so I am not sure whether the way to go is to take an outright ban,” he explained.
He was however quick to add that the Service had held several “radio programmes in various region” to address the challenge.
“Eventhough it not our core mandate we think that some of the stories we hear from these areas are troubling and if you recall last year, we had two running documentaries advising the public about irregular migration and the reason why they should not embark on such dangerous journeys,” Deti added.
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By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah