Brong-Ahafo has the highest irregular migrants – Report

The Brong-Ahafo, now divided into three regions of Ahafo, Brong and Bono East is currently the nation’s region with the highest number of irregular migrants, statistics of illegal migration for 2017 has indicated.

Mr. Joseph Tapena, the project Coordinator of Black and White Initiative, a humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Ghana and Germany told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on Friday in Sunyani.

He cited that out of 4,092 Ghanaian returnees from Libya in 2017, Brong-Ahafo recorded the highest number of 1,562, representing 38.17 per cent and Ashanti Region had 601, indicating 13.63 per cent.

According to the report, Greater Accra, Western, Northern and Upper East Regions recorded 429, 241, 325 and 227 returnees respectively, Mr. Tapena said.

He added that the Eastern, Central, Volta and Upper West Regions also had 194, 180, 168 and 159 emigrants in that order.

Mr. Tapena expressed worry about the menace of illegal migration and its concomitant consequences and advised the Ghanaian youth to be creative enough to identify job-creation opportunities in the country.

This, according to him would enable them (unemployed youth) to enter into self-employment because the trend of job-creation even on global scale now was dependent more on the private sector with governments as facilitators.

In another interview, Mr. Wolfgang Lieberknecht, the Founder of Black and White Initiative added that 547 people from the Gulf States, comprising 377 females and 170 males were repatriated in 2017 from Europe.

Source: GNA