Among the top UK Home Office’s priorities is to tackle illegal migration by removing individuals with no right to be in the UK and protecting the vulnerable. This is in consonance with Reintegration which is a key component of Objective 21 of the Global Compact for Sale, Orderly and Regular Migration to ‘cooperate in facilitating safe and dignified return and readmission, as well as sustainable reintegration’ with the Home Office seeking to reduce the burden in states when receiving their nations and help them to become self-sufficient and reintegrate sustainably. As part of the Home Office Reintegration Programme funding packaging, the Home Office is investing in grant-funding for each financial year until March 2025 with the support aiming to successfully reintegrate returning individuals into their country of origin.

The purpose of the funding relates to satisfying one of the core aims and objectives of Immigration Enforcement (IE) amongst which include facilitating the return of nations to their countries of origin. It is based on the fact that Reintegration assistance can incentivize return by offering practical support to those returning, demonstrating a person-centric immigration system which is responsive to the needs of potentially vulnerable individuals. It reduces the push factor of irregular re-migration upon return, reduces the burden on fragile infrastructures in countries of origin and increases their capacity to accept their nationals.

In the framework of the above services and the Home Office Reintegration Programme, the International Returns and Reintegration Assistance (IRARA), an NGO registered in Belgium has been engaged to provide returns and reintegration services to THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Home Office). The purpose is for IRARA to deliver reintegration services to support returning individuals from the United Kingdom (UK) in 10 countries and this is to be achieved by providing counseling and referral services, enabling the returning individuals to build up their lives through tailor-made reintegration assistance.

The Project is funded by the European Delegation to Ghana with the overall objective of contributing to the elimination of the worst forms of child labour (WFCL) as a result of human trafficking in the fishing sector in Ghana. The action thus seeks to build a sustainable protection network directed to eliminate child trafficking in the fisheries of Lake Volta. The Project is being implemented in the 6 regions (Bono East, Eastern, Central, Greater Accra, Volta and Oti regions) involving 13 districts (Pru/Yeji, Sene East, Atebubu, Asuogyaman, kwahu Afram Plains, Awutu, Mfantsiman, Ada East. Ningo, Kpando, Jasikan, Biakoye and Krachi East districts) and spanning across 30 communities.

Broad project activities establishment of Sustainable Nets Steering Committee and working units. Main outputs include: a multi-stakeholder network to fight child labour as a result of human trafficking in the fisheries of Lake Volta established;  capacity building programme targets the members of the DCPCs/CCPCs; social workers and law enforcement agencies at the district level within high-risk selected communities receive technical assistance; establishment of a child-friendly legal aid itinerant service; a sustainable livelihood scheme is experimented to reintegrate the children rescued from labour exploitation and child trafficking in the Lake Volta fisheries; and community-based campaigns are carried out to raise awareness.

The Project is implemented by a Consortium led by the lead applicant/implementer Network for Community Planning and Development (NECPAD) and 2 co-applicants/co-implementers being an Italian NGO Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud (CISS) based in Palermo, Italy and a Kumasi-based NGO Rural Development and Youth Association (RUDEYA), Ghana.

The Project has been implemented for 6 months and all expected outputs planned for the period have been achieved.

The Project is funded by the European Delegation to Ghana with the overall objective of contributing to reducing the economic, social and climate change-related vulnerability of rural communities living in Ghana savannah ecosystem region, The project’s specific objective is to enhance the capacities of small-scale farmers to access research, best practices and innovation for the sustainable and inclusive development of the savannah ecosystem in the Brong Ahafo and Northern regions of Ghana. The Project is implemented by a consortium led by Italian NGO Cooperzione Internazionale Sud Sud (CISS) as a lead application and three other Co-Applicants including the Network for Community Planning and Development (NECPAD), Rural Development and Youth Association (RUDEYA) and Universta Degli Study Di Brescia (CeTAmb LAB). Project intervention is in 30 Municipal and District Assemblies in the Brong Ahafo, Northern Region, Upper East and Upper West where some 2000 among unemployed youth, smallholder and women farmers, 1500 rural households, 200 artisans; 80 among farmer-based organisations, CBOs and women-led self-help, 30 local researchers; 8000 youth, children and adults benefit from the project.