Ghana and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have renewed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on migration management, labour mobility and diaspora engagement as the country prepares to assume the African Union (AU) chairmanship in 2027.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a meeting between Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister James Gyakye Quayson and IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa Sylvia Ekra at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra on Friday, November 6, 2026.
Discussions centred on labour mobility, regular migration pathways, migrant protection, return and sustainable reintegration, diaspora engagement and regional cooperation.
Mrs Ekra congratulated Ghana on its imminent assumption of the AU chairmanship and expressed the organisation’s readiness to work with the government to advance its migration and development priorities.
She identified diaspora engagement as an important area of cooperation and indicated IOM’s willingness to support initiatives that harness the contributions of Ghanaians abroad towards national development.
She also emphasised the need for IOM interventions to reflect Ghana’s national priorities to ensure that collaborative programmes deliver sustainable outcomes.
Mrs Ekra said the organisation had operated in Ghana for 39 years, with 2027 marking 40 years of its presence in the country.
Mr Gyakye Quayson, on his part, acknowledged IOM’s technical assistance in migration governance, migrant protection, labour migration, border management, return and reintegration, and counter-trafficking initiatives.
He said the government was committed to expanding safe and regular migration pathways, particularly through skills mobility and decent employment opportunities abroad for young Ghanaians.
He stressed the importance of safeguarding the rights and welfare of migrant workers while creating opportunities for them to access employment outside the country.
The Deputy Minister further called for sustainable reintegration programmes that provide returning migrants with skills training, livelihood opportunities and the support needed to reintegrate successfully into their communities.
As part of the engagement, IOM presented its Ghana Strategic Plan 2026–2028 to the Deputy Minister.
The plan outlines three priority areas: saving lives and protecting people on the move, driving solutions to displacement and facilitating pathways for regular migration.
