C-IHL AIMS-R WORKSHOP
Ghana’s evolving migration and border-security landscape is placing new demands on the institutions responsible for managing the country’s borders. In response, the African Institute for Migration and Security Research (AIMS-R), in collaboration with the Centre for Migration Studies (CMS), University of Ghana, and the City Institute of Higher Learning, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, has delivered a specialized Ghana Immigration Service border security training programme for officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
A Workshop Built Around Ghana’s Border Security Priorities
The workshop was held under the theme “Securing Ghana’s Borders in the Age of Migration: Repositioning Security Personnel for Ghana’s Border and Continental Integration Agenda.”
The programme recognised the increasingly complex environment in which Ghana’s border personnel now operate, including:
- Changing migration patterns across the sub-region
- Transnational security threats
- Regional instability
- The evolving architecture of free movement in Africa
Guest of Honour Highlights the Need for Inter-Agency Collaboration
The Guest of Honour, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, Technical Advisor to the Minister for the Interior and Advisory Board Member of AIMS-R, stressed the importance of continuous professional training in strengthening modern border security. She also emphasised that security institutions must work collaboratively rather than in isolation — underlining the need for stronger intelligence gathering, information sharing, and data management among immigration, police, and other law enforcement institutions.
Three Training Modules Anchor the Programme
The workshop featured three technical modules, each facilitated by an expert whose background aligned with the subject matter.
Module 1: Legal Authority in a Changing Landscape
Facilitated by Dr. Frank Ayisi of the Ghana Immigration Service, this session covered the GIS operational framework, the national counter-terrorism legal regime, and rights-based border-security practice. It explored how immigration authority interacts with national security and human-rights obligations.
Module 2: Migration and the Security Nexus
Led by Dr. Obodai Torto of the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, this module examined the complexities of international migration and its relationship to security, including emerging cross-border mobility challenges and transnational threats.
Module 3: Free Movement of Persons and Continental Integration
Facilitated by Dr. Johnson Appiah Kubi, also of the Centre for Migration Studies, this session focused on the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and its implications for Ghana’s border-management institutions within Africa’s continental integration agenda.
Scenario-Based Learning Puts Theory Into Practice
A key strength of the programme was its emphasis on practical, scenario-based learning. After the technical sessions, officers took part in an integrated scenario exercise that required them to apply legal, security, and migration-management principles from all three modules to realistic operational situations.
From Training to Action: Commitment Cards and Personal Action Plans
The programme closed with a plenary review of key lessons, followed by commitment cards and personal action planning, encouraging each participant to identify concrete ways to apply what they learned in their day-to-day responsibilities.
The training underscores a broader point: effective border management is not just about enforcement capacity. It requires immigration personnel who understand the legal, social, political, and security dimensions of modern migration, and who can operate confidently within Ghana’s regional and continental commitments.
The programme concluded with the presentation of certificates of participation to all officers, recognising their engagement and their commitment to strengthening their professional knowledge and skills in migration and border security.
A Partnership Built on Complementary Strengths
This Ghana Immigration Service border security training brought together:
- The operational expertise of the Ghana Immigration Service and the National Counter Terrorism Centre
- The research expertise of the Centre for Migration Studies
- The institutional partnership of AIMS-R and the City Institute of Higher Learning
Through partnerships like this one, AIMS-R remains committed to supporting professional capacity development, strengthening evidence-based migration governance, and fostering collaboration between academic institutions, policy organisations, and the frontline agencies responsible for migration and border management.
