By Jerry Azanduna
Kintampo (Bono East), July 14, GNA – The Government, with support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has facilitated the voluntary return of more than 8,000 Ghanaian migrants stranded abroad since 2017, according to an IOM report.
The report indicated that most of the returnees were migrants who undertook irregular journeys through unapproved routes, particularly through the Sahara Desert to Libya.
Madam Felicia Adjei, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kintampo South and a member of Parliament’s Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Kintampo in the Bono East Region.
She said the IOM assisted 1,597 Ghanaian migrants to return safely from Libya in 2024 alone.
Madam Adjei, who recently returned from an official visit to Libya, said the trip provided an opportunity to engage senior Libyan authorities, including the Libyan President and the President of the High State Council.
According to her, discussions focused on improving the welfare, protection and legal status of Ghanaians living in Libya, including migrants from the Bono East region.
She said she also met members of the Ghanaian community in Libya, many of whom recounted challenges such as unemployment, lack of legal documentation, poor working conditions, exploitation, limited access to healthcare, and frequent arrest and detention.
Madam Adjei said the visit also enabled her to explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation between Ghana and Libya to promote safe and regular migration.
She noted that stronger collaboration between the two countries could help create legitimate employment opportunities, protect Ghanaian workers from exploitation and reduce irregular migration among the youth.
The MP explained that Libya had, over the years, served both as a destination and a transit point for many Ghanaian migrants.
“Some migrants travel through the Sahara Desert with the intention of working in Libya, while others hope to cross the Mediterranean to Europe,” she noted.
Madam Adjei observed that irregular migration was often facilitated by human smugglers, exposing migrants to severe risks, including dehydration, hunger and life-threatening human rights abuses.
She noted that reports continued to highlight incidents of arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, human trafficking and other forms of exploitation experienced by irregular migrants travelling through the Sahara to Libya.
To address some of the underlying causes of irregular migration, Madam Adjei announced plans to establish an Employable Skills Training Resource Centre in Kintampo.
She said the facility would provide vocational and employable skills training for young people and support the reintegration of returning migrants through employment opportunities.
The Centre would also educate prospective migrants on regular migration procedures and the dangers associated with irregular journeys through the Sahara Desert.
Madam Adjei said the initiative would collaborate with relevant government agencies, development partners, private-sector institutions and Libyan authorities to develop training programmes and explore employment opportunities for beneficiaries.
She emphasised the need for Ghana to deepen bilateral relations with Libya and create opportunities for Ghanaians to travel and work legally under clearly defined contractual arrangements and adequate protection mechanisms for the mutual benefit of both countries.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah