The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), has commenced a 10-day intensive training programme on risk analysis and intelligence collection to strengthen Ghana’s border security.
The training marks the operational rollout of the 48-month Strengthening and Harmonizing Integrated Border Management Frameworks and Technical (SHIFT) Project, which seeks to modernise Ghana’s border management systems and improve the capacity of immigration officers to identify and respond to emerging security threats.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Accra, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr. Samuel Basintale Amadu, said the GIS plays a crucial role in protecting Ghana’s borders against rapidly changing transnational crimes and extremist activities.
He said the Service is transitioning into an intelligence-driven institution, with greater emphasis on professional data analysis, suspicious behaviour detection and enhanced collaboration among security agencies.
Mr. Amadu noted that criminal networks are increasingly operating across multiple jurisdictions, using advanced technology, forged documentation, cyber tools and complex financial channels to facilitate their activities.
He added that terrorist and extremist groups continue to exploit irregular migration routes and vulnerabilities within border systems to move across regions.
“These stark realities demand that the Ghana Immigration Service evolves into a fully intelligence-driven institution,” he said.
The Comptroller-General was accompanied at the ceremony by Madam Amala Obiokoye Nwalor, Head of Office for the ICMPD and a key stakeholder in the SHIFT Project.
Madam Nwalor described risk analysis as the backbone of intelligence-led border management, stressing the importance of equipping GIS officers with the skills needed to anticipate threats and respond effectively.
She said the training would help ensure that the GIS remains proactive, professional and aligned with international standards.
The capacity-building programme has brought together 30 selected frontline officers from various key entry and exit points across the country.
Over the 10-day period, participants will receive training in advanced data technologies and modern risk-assessment systems. They will also acquire practical skills to conduct institutional risk analysis and detect potential security threats.
The €7.3 million European Union-funded SHIFT Project, implemented by the ICMPD, is aimed at addressing growing security challenges in West Africa, including porous borders, the spillover of terrorism from the Sahel and transnational organised crime.
The project is expected to strengthen Ghana’s border management capacity and support a more coordinated, intelligence-led approach to securing the country’s borders.
Story: Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah / Ahotoronline / Accra.