By Dennis Peprah
Fiapre (Bono), July 30, GNA – Mr Dennis Benneh Diawuo, Technical Adviser at the Ghana European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development (GEC), has cautioned unemployed youth against the temptation of travelling abroad through unapproved routes.
He highlighted the dangers associated with using the desert and high seas to reach Europe, stressing that accessing visas and travelling abroad through regular channels had become easier.
Mr Diawuo said with the introduction of the German Opportunity Card and the European Union (EU) Blue Card, young people with employable skills, academic qualifications and professional certificates could apply and obtain visas to travel.
He gave the caution when he spoke to the media in Sunyani on the sidelines of the 2026 International Day celebration of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) at Fiapre near Sunyani.
The event, on the theme: “Local Industries, Global Futures: Youth Mobility and International Partnerships,” was organised by the GEC, implemented by GIZ Ghana in collaboration with UENR.
The celebration sought to promote cultural diversity, regular migration pathways, international education, academic exchange opportunities and global partnerships, and was attended by foreign students from Ethiopia and Germany.
Mr Diawuo reminded the youth that travelling abroad through the high seas was not guaranteed and advised potential travellers to access the services of the GEC, which he said were provided free of charge.
“It is even sad that sometimes the amount of money some of them pay to their agents for tourism visas is often too much,” he said.
He expressed concern about the increasing trend of irregular migration among the youth in the Bono Region and cautioned them against the dangers associated with travelling through the desert and high seas.
Mr Diawuo said the GEC was collaborating with Labour Departments and advised potential travellers outside Accra to contact regional Labour Departments for assistance.
He reaffirmed the GEC’s commitment to promoting informed migration and safe international mobility.
Earlier, Professor Amos Kabo-Bah, Dean of International Relations at UENR, said beyond academic work, there was the need to expose students to international opportunities and help them develop innovative ideas.
He said some students had business ideas but lacked the opportunity to develop them, hence the need to provide platforms for them to pitch and share their ideas.
Prof Kabo-Bah stressed that universities, as engines of growth, had a responsibility to support students to venture into the private sector and create jobs for themselves.
GNA
Edited by Audrey Dekalu
Reporter: Dennis Peprah
Email: [email protected]