Migration blues: Ten reasons to be careful about agencies
Ghanaians overseas contribute over four billion US dollars – according to the Bank of Ghana — annually to our economy through remittances. These remittances form a lifeline for educating family members back at home, providing for their survival paying for health care among others.
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Many travel to be able to support their families back home in Ghana, and indeed, without these remittances many families will suffer untold financial hardships.
Over 232 million people live outside their country of birth. People travel overseas for various reasons with varying degrees of success. However, in recent times, there have been many horror stories told about Ghanaians travelling overseas, especially to the Gulf Arab states.
On the other hand, there are many success stories of Ghanaians overseas – from Kwame Nkrumah to Kofi Annan, Asamoah Djan to Dede Ayew to name a few. It provides unmatched exposure to new ideas and opportunities. Above all, it’s not just about travelling, it is about the kind of job you will be undertaking overseas.
Again, some unscrupulous persons and grougs have contributed themseleves into recruitment agents and lure unsuspecting Ghanainas to part with thousands of Ghana cedis under the pretext of finding jobs for them abroad.
As we know, not all job opportunities should be considered especially when it comes from an unauthorised person/office. This is because some of these job opportunities may have been offered by people and offices who are not authorised to do such, hence, the illegal recruiters. Too many Ghanaians have died in the deserts, too many have died in the Mediterranean, many have found themselves in wrong countries and have become stranded. These are 10 life-saving tips to enable any overseas worker to recognise an illegal recruiter and to ensure he/she looks for legal migration. It is through decent jobs overseas, that one’s dream to succeed will become possible: So be careful:
When the agent promises a quick service
1. People travel dangerous routes to foreign countries to seek greener pastures. with high departure fees and promises of high salaries with no documents to sign for this offer. No agreements for you to sign, just bring money!
Make sure you sign an acceptance letter with the agency that promises to recruit you to take you overseas, so that should the job not work out – for whatever reason, which is possible, the agency will take responsibility and you will not be stranded. The licensed agency plays only a facilitative role in your migration to your new employer for the first 30 or 90 days – known as your probation period. After this, you become a fully vetted worker for your new employer and should you decide you do not want the job, it becomes your responsibility to return to Ghana or to legally transfer to another job.
2. When the agent does recruitment in obscure locations instead of doing such in an authourised and vetted Ghana Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations -licensed recruitment office. There are 14 such vetted offices and licensed agencies in Ghana.
SOS Labour Ghana Ltd. is the first of these licensed companies operating in nine countries globally. The Ghana Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations’ new Resource Centre (formerly the Labour Office) is responsible for handling legal migration. Ghana’s legislative instrument LI 1833, allows Ghanaians to go and work legally overseas via licensed private employment agencies.
3. When the agency does not show any job description and does not give any details about the benefits of the job offer. Sometimes agencies offer fake documents that can not be verified.
Each legal job has a job description. Always demand a job description from the company that is recruiting you as well as the full benefits of the job indicating vacation, off days, days off, salary, bonuses and other benefits.
4. When the agency entices a prospective employee about direct-hiring and getting the job without proper documentation. Companies overseas and in Ghana require your genuine documents- starting with your CV (resume) – as well as educational, job testimonials and other information about you to hire you. So be careful, when you are told ‘no documents required’. Without a resume (CV) no responsible company will interview you, let alone hire you.
5. When the agency offers the prospective employee immediate departure for a job without the worker having signed any job offer letter.
Without signing a job offer letter, do not depart from Ghana for a job overseas!
6. When the agency offers the prospective employee a job with only a Tourist visa – with no work permit from the receiving country.
All persons going to work overseas no matter the job, even for house maids MUST have a work permit. He/she is able to impress the prospective employee that others have succeeded in working overseas with just a tourist visa. This is NOT true.
7. When the agency cannot present an employment contract and working visa ready for the prospective employee.
8. He/She avoids disclosing information about itself, especially office address, and any information that will further identify him, but succeeds in impressing the prospective employee that he has contacts at the embassy to get a visa through a ‘connection’.
9. When the agency promises a prospective employee that it will be processing the documents on the employee's behalf but will give the employee/applicant a fake and void copy of documents.
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10. When the agency asks the prospective employee to immediately pay fees or cash without issuing any form of receipt to enable the worker to show proof of payment.
The best way out of Ghana to work overseas is through the Ghana Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations’ licensed and accredited agencies only.
For more information on how you can migrate and work legally overseas contact SOS Labour Ghana Limited. SOS is currently offering jobs to Kuwait, Bahrain, Poland and Study-Work programmes to Canada.
You may also contact the Ghana Ministry for Employment and Labour Relations, Labour Office – which is now called the National Resource Centre for Job Opportunities. Ejumapa.com will be working closely with the new centre for the benefit of all Ghanaians to enjoy decent jobs and legal migration.
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The writer is the CEO of SOS Labour Ghana Ltd.