Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
Second periodic report submitted by Ghana under article 73 of the Convention, due in 2019 * , **
[Date received: 3 March 2026]
Replies to the list of issues prior to reporting (CMW/C/GHA/QPR/2)
Reply to paragraph 1 (a)
Since the previous concluding observations, Ghana has strengthened its migration governance framework through legislative reform and policy development aimed at aligning national practice with international human rights standards.
Key instruments include:
(a)The National Migration Policy (2016), which provides a comprehensive framework addressing emigration, immigration, transit migration, diaspora engagement, return and reintegration, and migration data systems;
(b)The National Labour Migration Policy (2020–2024), designed to promote safe, orderly and regular labour migration while protecting the rights of Ghanaian migrant workers abroad;
(c)The Labour (Domestic Workers) Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2408), which extend labour protections to domestic workers, including migrant domestic workers;
(d)The Human Trafficking (Amendment) Act, 2020, strengthening penalties and victim protection measures;
(e)Amendments to the Immigration Act to enhance regulation of migration flows and address irregular migration.
Migration governance is integrated into Ghana’s medium-term national development planning framework.
Reply to paragraph 1 (b)
Migration governance is coordinated through an inter-ministerial framework (the National Coordination Mechanism) led by the Ministry of the Interior. Key institutions include:
Migration Unit (Ministry of the Interior) – Migration Policy Coordination;
Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment- Responsible for labour migration governance, including implementation of labour migration policy, regulation of private employment agencies through the Labour Department, labour inspections, and protection of migrant workers’ rights;
Ghana Immigration Service – border management and enforcement;
Labour Department – regulation of recruitment agencies and labour inspections;
Diaspora Affairs Bureau – diaspora engagement and protection;
Ghana Refugee Board – refugee status determination and protection;
National Development Planning Commission – integration of migration into development planning.
An Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee which is the National Coordination Mechanism on Migration ensures coordination across Seven (7) thematic working groups on the various themes of Migration.
Reply to paragraph 1 (c)
Ghana continues to strengthen bilateral and international cooperation on labour migration governance. The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment collaborates with relevant government institutions and international partners to promote fair recruitment practices, protect migrant workers, and enhance labour migration governance systems.
Ghana also implements the Free Movement Protocol under the framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), guaranteeing rights of entry, residence and establishment for community citizens.
Ghana also hosts the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), reinforcing regional mobility and labour integration.
Bilateral labour agreements focus on:
Labour Mobility;
Social security portability;
Protection against arbitrary detention;
Repatriation procedures;
Recognition of qualifications;
Remittance facilitation.
Reply to paragraph 2
Implementation measures include:
Establishment of a Labour Migration Information System;
Development of pre-departure orientation programmes;
Licensing and inspection regime for private recruitment agencies;
Reintegration support for returning migrants (entrepreneurship, skills recognition, counselling).
Monitoring is guided by measurable indicators including registration coverage, inspection frequency, bilateral agreements concluded, and reintegration beneficiaries.
A review process is underway to develop a successor policy framework beyond 2024.
Regulation of Private Employment Agencies
The Ministry, through the Labour Department, licenses and regulates private employment agencies in accordance with national labour legislation and applicable regulations. This regulatory function ensures that recruitment agencies operate within the legal framework and uphold fair recruitment standards.
Regular monitoring and inspections are conducted to ensure compliance with licensing requirements and to prevent abusive or fraudulent recruitment practices. Sanctions are applied in accordance with the law in cases of non-compliance.
The Labour Department exercises this mandate pursuant to the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) and its implementing regulations, which provide the legal framework for the regulation of employment agencies, protection of workers, and enforcement of labour standards.
Pre-Departure Orientation and Migrant Protection
The Ministry collaborates with relevant stakeholders to facilitate awareness creation and pre-departure information for prospective migrant workers. These efforts are aimed at ensuring that migrant workers are informed about their rights, contractual obligations, and available protection mechanisms prior to departure.
Labour Migration Information and Monitoring
Efforts are ongoing to strengthen labour migration data collection and monitoring systems to support evidence-based policy planning and implementation. Administrative data collected by the Labour Department supports monitoring of recruitment practices and labour migration trends.
Reintegration Support
The Ministry collaborates with relevant stakeholders to support the reintegration of returning migrant workers through referrals to employment services, skills development programmes, and entrepreneurship initiatives.
Reply to paragraph 3
Each institution operates under statutory mandates. Efforts have been made to:
(a)Strengthen inter-agency cooperation;
(b)Improve training and digitalization;
(c)Increase awareness of migrant rights.
The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment continues to strengthen its institutional capacity to effectively regulate labour migration and protect migrant workers. Measures include strengthening labour inspection systems, enhancing coordination with relevant institutions, and improving administrative and regulatory oversight of recruitment practices.
The Labour Department of the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment requires increased inspectorate capacity, enhanced technological systems, and improved budget allocation to effectively detect illegal recruitment agencies and coordinate enforcement.
Reply to paragraph 4
Parliamentary Committees oversee migration-related legislation. Civil society organizations, faith-based groups, and trade unions participate in national migration dialogues. Stakeholders are consulted in the preparation and review of the second periodic report. Through the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up (NMRF) of the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, civil society organizations and parliament have representation on the NMRF which provide valuable inputs in the preparation of the State party’s second periodic report.
Reply to paragraph 5
Migration data is collected by:
Ghana Immigration Service;
Ghana Statistical Service;
Labour Department;
Bank of Ghana;
Diplomatic and consular missions.
Efforts are underway to harmonize data systems under ECOWAS frameworks.
The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, through the Labour Department, maintains administrative records of licensed private employment agencies, labour inspections, and enforcement actions. These administrative data systems support monitoring, compliance, and policy development related to labour migration governance.
Reply to paragraph 6
The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment has undertaken various capacity-building initiatives to strengthen the ability of labour inspectors and relevant officials to monitor recruitment practices and identify labour rights violations, including those affecting migrant workers. Other capacity development programmes have also been provided to:
Border officials;
Labour inspectors;
Judiciary;
Consular officers;
Social workers.
Awareness creation activities contribute to promoting safe and regular migration and protecting workers from exploitation.
Reply to paragraph 7
Measures include:
Internal disciplinary mechanisms;
Whistleblower protections;
Collaboration with anti-corruption agencies;
Gender-responsive and child-sensitive training for consular personnel.
Reply to paragraph 8
Ghana supports ECOWAS biometric ID rollout and regional migration data harmonization. Diplomatic missions also collect data on nationals abroad.
Reply to paragraph 9
The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment plays a central role in promoting safe and regular labour migration through regulation of private employment agencies, enforcement of labour laws through inspections, and implementation of labour migration policies. These measures contribute to preventing abusive recruitment practices and protecting migrant workers from exploitation.
Other measures include:
Prosecution of illegal recruiters;
Pre-departure awareness sessions;
National Anti-Trafficking Action Plan implementation.
Ghana is reviewing accession to ILO Conventions Nos. 97, 143 and 189. These efforts contribute to preventing illegal recruitment and protecting migrant workers from exploitation.
Reply to paragraph 10
The Government is assessing the legal and administrative implications of accepting the communications procedure under Articles 76 and 77.
Reply to paragraph 11
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) established a Migration Desk in 2023 to handle migrant-related complaints and provide information on remedies. Efforts are underway to strengthen financial autonomy and expand monitoring mandates. In 2025, CHRAJ resolved 6,024 out of 6,547 human rights complaints and held 1,927 sensitisation programmes nationwide.
Reply to paragraph 12
Traditional leaders facilitate integration, dispute resolution and community mediation involving migrant populations.
Reply to paragraph 13
Ghana ratified the Convention on September 7, 2000 and entered into force in 2003 to ensure it becomes a legally binding instrument in the country. Despite the ratification, there are challenges with reporting due to low or non-existent coordination and collaboration with other institutions on collation of data for reporting.
The key provisions of the Convention applied by public officials include:
(a)Articles 7 & 16: Ensure non-discrimination regardless of nationality and protect against arbitrary arrest;
(b)Articles 21, 22, & 33: Govern the, confiscation of documents, prohibition of collective expulsion, and the right to information regarding their legal status.
Reply to paragraph 13 (a)
The judicial and administrative entities competent to examine and decide on complaints from migrant workers and members of their families, including migrants in the informal labour sector, migrant domestic workers and workers in an irregular situation are CHRAJ, Law Courts, and the National labour Commission.
Reply to paragraph 13 (b)
The number and type of complaints examined by such entities in the past five years and their outcomes, disaggregated by sex, age and migratory status are not readily available as of the time of preparing this response.
Reply to paragraph 13 (c)
Yes, legal assistance is provided to the interested parties where required.
Reply to paragraph 13 (d)
Information regarding any redress, including compensation, provided to the victims of violations of Convention rights are not readily available as of the time of preparing this response.
Reply to paragraph 1 3 (e)
Yes, measures are taken to inform migrant workers and members of their families about the remedies available to them for violations of their rights. This includes awareness creation, orientations, and sensitisation by relevant institutions.
Reply to paragraph 14
Ghana implemented various restrictions to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic which affected migrant workers and their families. Measures included closure of borders and suspension of international flights. Ghana closed its borders with Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, and restricted entry from countries with over 200 reported COVID-19 cases. All persons entering Ghana were also required to undergo 14 days’ quarantine and testing. Additionally, a three-week lockdown was imposed in Accra and Kumasi metropolitan areas, restricting movement and gatherings. The measures impacted migrant workers who were stuck in transit centers or resorted to using unapproved entry points due to border closures. Migrant workers in the informal sector faced severe economic challenges and limited access to social protection.
Reply to paragraph 14 (a)
Government implemented various measures to support migrant workers and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key efforts include evacuation of resident permit holders from countries like South Africa, The Gambia, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates, access to healthcare, COVID-19 Vaccination with 35% of the population fully vaccinated.
Reply to paragraph 14 (b)
The Ministry of Labour through the National Tripartite Committee issued guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and control measures in workplaces. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were distributed to frontline workers, including those in high-risk sectors like healthcare and transportation. Public health measures emphasized handwashing, social distancing, and mask-wearing in workplaces. Employers were encouraged to conduct risk assessments and implement safety protocols.
Reply to paragraph 14 (c)
Government through the Ghana Health Service designated specific facilities for COVID-19 treatment.
Reply to paragraph 14 (d)
Government worked with organizations like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to provide support and assistance to migrants. However, specific information on protocols for informing families and repatriating remains of migrant workers who died of COVID-19 is limited.
Reply to paragraph 14 (e)
Government’s response was informed by the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012) which empowered the President to impose restrictions on fundamental rights during emergencies and same applied to migrant workers.
Reply to paragraph 15
Migrant workers and their families in Ghana are required to seek redress through various mechanisms, including the National Labour Commission (NLC) and the Labour Court. The NLC handles complaints related to unfair labour practices, breaches of employment contracts, and violations of labour laws. If unresolved, cases can be taken to the Labour Division of the High Court. Migrant workers in Ghana, including those in an irregular situation, can access information on legal remedies through the National Labour Commission, Legal Aid Commission, Trade Unions, NGOs and Civil Society.
Reply to paragraph 16
The Constitution prohibits discrimination. Policy reforms aim to explicitly include migration status.
Reply to paragraph 18
The Labour Department conducts routine labour inspections to monitor working conditions and ensure compliance with national labour laws. Where violations are identified, appropriate administrative and legal measures are taken in accordance with national labour laws.
Reply to paragraph 20
Immigration detainees are separated from criminal detainees where feasible. Alternatives to detention are being expanded.
Reply to paragraph 22
Consular services provide legal referrals, emergency travel documents and repatriation assistance.
Reply to paragraph 26
Migrant workers in Ghana are entitled to protection under national labour laws, including provisions relating to fair wages, occupational safety and health, and access to dispute resolution mechanisms. The Ministry ensures that labour protections apply without discrimination.
Equal pay protections apply. Birth registration and access to basic education are guaranteed irrespective of status.
Reply to paragraph 31
Humanitarian residence permits may be granted to protect family unity.
Reply to paragraph 37
The Ministry collaborates with relevant stakeholders to facilitate the reintegration of returning migrant workers through employment support services and referrals to skills development and livelihood programmes.
Returnees benefit from reintegration programmes including skills recognition and entrepreneurship support.