Staff of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly are participating in a two-day specialised training programme aimed at enhancing the Assembly’s capacity to manage migration and protect migrants through a rights-based approach.
The training, organised in partnership with the International Organization for Migration and GIZ, is equipping personnel from the Assembly’s Migration Desk and other departments with practical tools for migrant protection, referral services, and migration governance.
Speaking during a session, IOM Project Assistant, Edem Semordzi, explained that migrant protection focuses on safeguarding the rights and well-being of migrants, regardless of their status or country of origin.
He noted that effective protection requires access to essential services such as legal assistance, social support, and psychosocial care, stressing that these interventions are critical in addressing the vulnerabilities migrants often face.
Mr. Semordzi further highlighted that a rights-based approach places human dignity at the centre of migration policies, ensuring non-discrimination, safety, and respect for migrants while promoting their participation in decisions that affect them.
The training also emphasised the importance of institutional collaboration, with participants encouraged to strengthen coordination between government agencies, civil society organisations, and community actors to improve migrant protection outcomes.
Key topics covered include migration dynamics in Accra, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, as well as the national referral mechanism for assisting vulnerable migrants.
Participants are also being guided through practical case studies, counselling approaches, and strategies to help migrants pursue safe and regular migration pathways.
Officials say the programme is expected to enhance interdepartmental coordination within the Assembly and improve its overall response to migration-related challenges in the capital.
