GENERAL


AMA receives support from IOM to establish Migrant Desk

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has received some essential office equipment from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to support the establishment of a Migrant Desk within its International Relations Office.

Date Created : 12/16/2024 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Susana Danso/Ghanadistricts.com

The equipment presented include executive table, junior table, two swivel chairs, monitoring screen, laptop, blue-chip keyboard, stationeries, and a three-in-one printer intended to facilitate the effective management of migration-related challenges in the metropolis.

The establishment of the Migrant Desk follows a proposal from the AMA to the IOM and is expected to work closely with the Social Welfare Department and the Ministry of Interior to build on the successes of the CLEAN Project, which focused on integrating migrants into the informal waste sector among others.

Key functions of the Migrant Desk will include data collection and analysis, policy development, stakeholder training, inter-agency collaboration as well as engagement with migrant communities to ensure their active participation in decision-making processes.

Receiving the items, the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Elizabeth Sackey, expressed gratitude to the IOM for its continued partnership and support, stressing that the Migrant Desk would play a pivotal role in addressing the needs of migrants, particularly those in the informal economy.

"The establishment of the Migrant Desk is a significant step towards ensuring the socio-economic integration of migrants in Accra... It will provide a dedicated structure to collect data, develop policies, and coordinate efforts to protect the rights of migrants while enhancing their contributions to the local economy," she said.

The IOM Chief of Mission, Ms. Fatou Diallo Ndiaye, commended the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) for its efforts in migrant protection and pledged continued support to enhance the city's capacity to manage migration effectively.

She disclosed that the items would enable the office to offer meaningful support to migrants and stressed the importance of rigorous training for officers who would manage the desk to equip them to facilitate the collection of data on migrants entering the city.

She assured the IOM commitment to continue collaborating with the AMA to develop information sheets aimed at sensitising migrants on the services available to them in the city while describing the partnership as a long-standing relationship, with both parties sharing a unified vision for holistic migrant protection.

The Chief of Mission expressed hope for the expansion of the Migrant Desk in the future to better handle the complexities of migration and provide immediate support to migrants.

The AMA's International Relations Office, which would host the Migrant Desk, is tasked with managing cross-border relations and international cooperation.