Deputy Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, has called for a nationwide public education campaign to sensitise Ghanaians, especially the youth, about the dangers of seeking greener pastures abroad without adequate preparation or legal guidance.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, 25 July, Mr Quayson expressed deep concern about the increasing number of young Africans, particularly those migrating to the Middle East, who end up facing exploitation, abuse, and inhumane working conditions.
“Why would you travel just to go and lose your physical being?” he questioned, lamenting the harsh realities many migrants endure.
Mr Quayson emphasised that better communication is key to tackling this growing concern.
“I think what I will add is to beef up our communication here in the country. We will liaise with the Ministry of Information to feature some of these things, so the youth will understand. Because when you are desperate, anybody can lure you into something like that,” he stated.
He noted that many irregular migrants deliberately avoid authorities in their host countries, making it difficult for Ghanaian missions to offer support.
“If we don’t step up the communication, most of these youth end up there and they avoid authorities. So how are you going to encounter them?”
To address the issue effectively, Mr Quayson proposed collaboration between government ministries, media outlets, and foreign missions to create awareness about the risks and realities of unregulated migration.
“We can engage with the media houses to let them explain such challenges that some of these youth will go through,” he suggested.
He further recommended that Ghana’s embassies be resourced with trained counsellors to guide and support citizens abroad.
“We should be able to have some counsellors attached to our various embassies who can counsel these youth.”
Mr Quayson concluded that empowering the public with accurate, accessible information is essential to helping young Ghanaians make safer, more informed decisions about migration.
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