A two-day specialised training programme aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to manage migration and protect migrants through a rights-based approach has begun in Accra.

The training, organised in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and GIZ, formed part of efforts to equip staff of the Assembly’s Migration Desk and other departments with practical tools for migrant protection, referral services and migration governance.

In a presentation on “Migrant Protection and a Rights-Based Approach to Migration,” IOM Project Assistant Mr. Edem Semordzi explained that migrant protection focuses on safeguarding the rights and well-being of migrants regardless of their migration status or country of origin.

He noted that effective migrant protection required the provision of essential support services such as access to social services, legal assistance and psychosocial support, adding that these services were crucial in responding to the vulnerabilities migrants often face during the migration process.

Mr Semordzi further explained that migrant protection also involves advocacy for policy reforms and strengthening the capacity of institutions responsible for migration governance, noting that well-coordinated institutions were better positioned to respond to migration-related protection risks.

Touching on the rights-based approach to migration, Mr Semordzi emphasised that the approach places human rights at the centre of migration policies and programmes, ensuring that migrants are treated with dignity, safety and respect at all times.

He explained that the framework also promotes non-discrimination and participation, allowing migrants equal access to services while encouraging their involvement in decision-making processes that affect their welfare.

Mr Semordzi further highlighted the importance of collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations and communities, noting that strong partnerships help create an enabling environment for migrant protection at the city level.

The training also explored issues such as urban migration challenges, vulnerability, gender, and inclusion considerations, as well as the IOM vulnerability framework, providing practical case examples to help participants understand real-life migration protection scenarios.

The sessions covered topics including migration dynamics in Accra and the role of the AMA, migrant protection and a rights-based approach, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), migrant smuggling and human trafficking, and the national referral mechanism for assisting vulnerable migrants.

Participants are expected to be taken through counselling approaches for migrants seeking employment and regular migration pathways, as well as information provision, risk awareness and managing expectations to prevent irregular migration.

The programme will also include discussions on interdepartmental coordination within the Assembly, referral pathways with national actors, and practical case scenarios designed to strengthen client management systems for migrants.