The refurbished Reintegration Coordination Secretariat (RCS) has been opened to serve as a national information hub on reintegration in the country. It also aimed to facilitate the coordination of activities of Reintegration Service Providers in Ghana. The renovated facility situated at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Head Office was funded under the Return and Reintegration Facility (RRF), funded by the European Union through the Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (AMIF), and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). Mr Seji Saji Amedonu, a Deputy Director-General of NADMO In-charge of Technical and Reforms, said, the opening of the RCS would serve as a national information hub on reintegration activities in Ghana. He said situating the RCS at NADMO would enhance its mandatory functions. 'It is the duty of NADMO as mandated by law to manage disasters and similar emergencies that had migration management such as deportation, repatriation, evacuations, assisted voluntary returns that demanded swift humanitarian assistance responses, and the RCS will help us execute these mandates effectively and timely' he added. Mr Saji said the ICMPD had played major roles in its partnership with NADMO, among few organisations that had demonstrated strong collaboration and commitment to rolling out major policy interventions for the reception and reintegration of returned migrants. 'Through ICMPD's intervention, a number of NADMO Staffs have been trained in migration management related skills across the country,' he added. The Deputy Director-General said with the support from ICMPD and its partners, the Migration and Reintegration Department of NADMO was able to establish the national platform for returnee reintegration service providers for both Government agencies and NGOs in Ghana. He said: 'I would want to beckon all actors within the migration and reintegration space to support NADMO in the delivery of our mandate.' He, therefore, encouraged all reintegration service providers in Ghana to work hand in hand with the RCS to achieve its purpose. Ms Amala Obiokoye-Nwalor, Project Manager from ICMPD, said within the framework of the project, ICMPD supported the Ghana Immigration Service to set-up the Migration Information Centre for Returns (MICR) at Kotoka International Airport. 'We have recently been supporting NADMO to strengthen its capacity to coordinate the reintegration of returnees, including provision of training and the set-up of the RCS,' she added. She said when migration was not done regularly, through legal channels and pathways, it constituted an infraction which could lead to the return of the migrant to their country of origin. Ms Obiokoye-Nwalor said returnees often arrived in their home country in different mental and physical states, requiring support to help them reintegrate back into their community. 'This is where the NADMO RCS plays an important role, liaising and coordinating with Government and Non-Governmental Organisations, to ensure that Ghanaian returnees receive the required psychosocial, health care and economic support for reintegration,' she added. The renovation of the secretariat consisted of the assigned office space, procurement of office furniture: tables, chairs, cabinets, and office equipment: computers, printers, and accessories.

Source: Ghana News Agency