By Mildred Siabi-Mensah/Joseph Agrace Wiyorbie, GNA
New Takoradi, Dec. 19, GNA - Mr Martin King-Arthur, also known as "Kofi Kinnata," a musician and the "Goodwill Ambassador for legal Migration," has called on parents to continually support the needs of their children until they can take full responsibility of their lives.
He said most youth tended to seek greener pastures elsewhere through stowaway and other illegal means of travelling when family and parental support became absent and unreliable.
Mr King-Arthur was speaking at the celebration of the International Migrants Day marked by the IOM and the Ghana Immigration Service in New Takoradi within the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region.
The celebration had the theme: "Stop Illegal Migration; We Are Our Future," with the Slogan, No place Like Home.
Kofi Kinnata recalled how he, after a long day, would go home to his mother's kitchen and be opening bowls in search of food, adding; "Mothers continue to leave food at the kitchen for us and when, in due time we break though, we will make you good".
He noted the frustrations of being young and vibrant without a meaningful job or life, but called on the youth not to allow their current conditions to push them into illegal migration, particularly through the dessert and on the seas, which had claimed many lives and dashed their hopes of becoming better contributors to society.
DCI Dr Prosper Asim, the Western Regional Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service, said migration had both economic and social development potentials when done within the law.
He said it was the reason the Service was collaborating with the IOM to educate and sensitise the youth in particular to travel on a good precedence to prevent the abuses associated with illegal travelling.
He said sustainable development goals enjoined countries to work hard to ensure that nobody was left behind adding; "There is no place like home, and if you want to travel, do so through the right systems".
Mr Kojo Wilmot, who represented the Chief of Missions of the IOM, called on communities to show love to returnees rather than stigmatise them to ensure their proper integration into society.
So far, the IOM had integrated more than 1000 illegal migrants with 25 of them assisted with mechanical skills and certified through the NVTI Proficiency One and also licensed by the DVLA to operate.
Mr Kobby Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, said migration continued to be a defining future of generations and stressed the need to effectively manage and harness its potentials.
He reminded the youth of opportunities available in the country and the Region, in particular, to take advantage of rather than travelling out for non-existent jobs.
GNA
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