The Governing Council of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has approved the promotion of 446 Senior Officers to their next ranks.
The promotions were sanctioned during the Council’s 26th meeting, in accordance with Regulations 17(5)(b) of the Immigration Service Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2245).
This move aims to align the ranks of Heads of Departments, Schedules, Regional, and Sector Commands with the positions they currently hold, and to create new vacancies following the establishment of additional Departments, Sectors, Sections, and Units, including Inland checkpoints, as approved by the Immigration Council.
Expansion of operations and enhanced administration
The recent promotions and restructuring are part of the Service’s broader strategy to enhance administration, deployment, and operations at various Commands.
The GIS has expanded significantly, growing from an initial 14 Sectors to the current 89.
Additionally, Inland checkpoints have increased from six to 58, all aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Service’s operations.
Ten Sections have been upgraded to full Departments, raising the total number of Departments to 19, and several Units have been elevated to Sections.
Ensuring timely promotions and addressing delays
According to the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kwame Asuah Takyi, the GIS Management has been committed to ensuring that Officers are promoted in a timely manner, addressing the issue of delayed promotions that can lead to low morale.
Under his leadership, and in recent years, all eligible Officers have been promoted, with the exception of those facing disciplinary issues.
Notably, since 2017, no Officer has remained in the same rank for more than four years, and all backlogged promotions have been cleared.
Recent promotions included 70 Senior Inspectors and Inspectors who were elevated to the rank of Assistant Superintendents.
Breakdown of senior officer promotions
Among the newly promoted Senior Officers, 51 Assistant Commissioners of Immigration (ACI) have advanced to the rank of Deputy Commissioners of Immigration (DCOI), and 17 Chief Superintendents have been promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Immigration.
Additionally, 85 Deputy Superintendents of Immigration (DSI) have been promoted to Superintendents, and the largest group, comprising 223 Assistant Superintendents, have been elevated to Deputy Superintendents of Immigration.
Promotion of junior officers
In a related development, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kwame Asuah Takyi (Esq.), also approved the promotion of 436 Junior Officers to their next ranks, as per Regulations 17(5)(a) of the Immigration Service Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2245).
These promotions are expected to enhance command and control, ensure discipline, and boost the morale of Officers, contributing to more effective professional migration management, secured borders, and overall national security.
