Over 35,000 Ghanaians are among 636,426 irregular migrants currently in Libya awaiting to embark on the dangerous journey through the Mediterranean to Europe, the Field and Research Officer of the Action for Protection and Integration of Migrants in West Africa (APIMA) Project, Gabriel Yindil has revealed.
According to him, this is why the APIMA Project is creating awareness on the dangers associated with irregular migration and the need for the youth to migrate with dignity through the right channel.
Mr. Yinbil was speaking in an interview with GBC’s Radio Ghana on the sidelines of a cleanup exercise in Techiman to commemorate the International Migrants Day. The theme for the day was “Migrate with Dignity”.
Over the years, the challenge of irregular migration has persisted. Images of migrants, including West Africans, desperately trying and dying in the desert or on the Mediterranean in their quest to get to Europe abound. In 2018 close to 3,400 migrants and refugees lost their lives worldwide with over 636,000 migrants currently present in Libya waiting to embark on the same dangerous journey.
Out of the number over 35,522 are Ghanaians, according to an International Organization for Migration report. Thus, to mark World Migration Day, the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Sponsored Action for the Protection and Integration of Migrants in Africa (APIMA) Project, being implemented by CARITAS Ghana, created awareness on the projects work on promoting regular migration and support for returned migrants.
The Participants, dominated by returned migrants, from Nkoranza South and Techiman Municipality went on a procession through the streets of Techiman, sweeping and desilting drains. They also interacted with people about regular migration and the plight of irregular migrants. The returned migrants also carried placards with pictures of some harrowing experiences of irregular migrants.
The procession ended at the Bono East Regional Coordinating Council where they were addressed by the Deputy Bono East Regional Minister, Martin Oti-Gyarko. He assured returned migrants government has a number of interventions in place to help the returnees better their lives.
He said the Bono East Region is one of the top regions where its indigenes travel a lot. He said called on them to foster unity among them
The APIMA project is been implemented in the Techiman South and Nkoranza South municipality of the Bono East region due to the high rate of irregular migration.
In an interview with GBC’s Radio Ghana, the Field and Research Officer of APIMA project, Gabriel Yinbil, said the deaths being recorded on the desert are an alarming situation hence the campaign to educate Ghanaians to migrate in a safe manner. He advised the unemployed to maintain their dignity by working hard to better their lives before travelling.
Story filed by Daniel Donkor.
