Centre for Migration Studies
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Item 'All that glitters is not gold" An exploratory study of 'trapped migrants' in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Gyasi- Mensah, A.Globalization has led to increased migration, resulting in migrants trapped in places which are not their home countries. These migrants termed 'trapped migrants ' (a category of migrants who have travelled outside their place of origin to their place of destination in hopes of returning home after accomplishing the purpose of travel but have been rendered victims to scams, hence cannot return to their place of origin) have been unexplored in the migration literature as the focus has been on migrants who move either voluntarily or involuntarily. The research paper examines the phenomena of 'trapped migrants' in search of gold in Ghana. It identifies their characteristics, explores ways in which they are trapped by gold scams, the role that Social Networks and Information Communications Technologies (ICT) played and also highlights some Institutional responses and Policy Implications of 'trapped migrants' in Ghana. Qualitative research approach using primary and secondary data were used. Findings reveal that 'trapped migrants' in Ghana were trapped by gold scams, fake documentation and the legal system. Characteristics from the study indicate there were more males than females, majority were middle aged from diverse nationalities, and highly educated. Social networks and I.C.T. played major roles in the lives of' trapped migrants' at multiple levels. This paper concludes by encouraging researchers to undertake studies on 'trapped migrants ' for proper conceptualization and also to bridge the knowledge gap.Item Negotiating transnational identities and belongingness back home: The case of 'posted children' of Ghanaian emigrants(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Adu-Gyarnfi, B.S.The desire for better standard of living has led to the migration of people, since the dawn of human history. Migrant parents, in host countries, are sending their children to their country of origin owing mostly to social and economic factors. Little attention has been paid to the integration challenges faced by these children in the areas of food, language and education. The paper examines the coping strategies of children sent home from abroad ("posted children") in selected schools in the Greater Accra Region. In-depth interviews and case studies were used to assess these challenges and coping strategies faced by the children. The findings show that the children initially had difficulties integrating into the educational system but settled in with time. In addition, they all had difficulties with disciplinary practices in school which they perceived as infringement on their human rights. They had no problem with food as they were used to Ghanaian dishes whilst abroad. Language was an issue initially but most posted children readily overcame this challenge.Item Migration and poverty dynamics: Transferring rural poverty to urban areas(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Musah, Z.Migration is an enduring theme of human history and considered as one of the defining global issues of the twenty-first century. It is also a major component of population distribution and change in both places of origin and destination. Among the major changes caused by migration in places of origin and destination is poverty, which is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. The migration poverty nexus is seen as poverty causing migration, migration causing poverty and poverty alleviated by migration. This poverty is seen as 'cause' and as 'consequence' of migration. The prevalence of poverty is substantially higher in rural areas than in urban centres in almost all developing countries. Poverty has therefore been conceptualised to be a rural phenomenon. This not withstanding, it is now recognised that the rapid growth of urban population has led to a worsening poverty in urban areas. Though urban population growth is largely by natural increase, internal migration still remains an important factor that contributes to urbanisation. Analysis of Poverty Profile in Ghana shows an increasing poverty in the Greater Accra region which has a large number of in-migrants and this has been associated with the high net migration to the region. It has often been hypothesized that migrants from ru ral areas simply transfer poverty from rural to urban areas. This paper thus examines the extent to which migrants transfer rural poverty to urban areas considering the reciprocal relationships of the migration poverty nexus and poverty levels of migrants and indigenes in the Greater Accra RegionItem 'Don't deny me of my childhood': Experiences of trafficked children and policy implications in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Setrana; Boatemaa, M.; Kandilige; Leander; Badasu, D.M.; Teye, J.K.The International Labour Organisation's (ILO) report (2013) indicates that over 215 million child labourers are engaged in several economic activities in the world, and that some 60 percent of them work in the agriculture sector including fishing and aquaculture. The alarming rates of this menace continually raise concerns; yet, hands-on measures of remedying the situation have not been adequately explored. The paper explores the experiences of trafficked children and how they are reintegrated into the Ghanaian society after their rescue and also makes some policy recommendations. It relies on data gathered from two institutions, (from both private and public sectors) using observation, focus group discuss ions and in-depth interview methods. The study finds that victims are used for various jobs in the fishing industry, ranging from diving into the muddy water to untying nets from underwater spiked branches. Furthermore, victims lack basic childhood facilities such as safe drinking water, access to education and good parental care as they are coerced into works that are dangerous to their health. Among others, the study finds that many trafficked children working in fishing communities are recruited into the fishing sector by their poor parents for monetary gain. The study recommends the resourcing of appropriate institutions to enforce laws, policies and institutional frameworks such as the Children's Act, Human Trafficking Act, among othersItem Life after deportation: A case of involuntary returned migrants in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Assuman, D.S.The study examines the migration experiences and livelihoods of deported migrants in Accra and Takoradi, within the framework of DFID's Sustainable Livelihood framework and Cassarino's conceptual framework. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews and field observations. The findings of the study indicate that most deportees were engaged in low paid jobs, and also had a short period of stay abroad, hence could not invest in the home country. This invariably affected their preparation towards return. Even though they were irregular migrants at the various destinations, majority of them still maintained close ties with relatives and friends in Ghana, and also remitted them as much as their meager resources would allow. Their impromptu and 'empty handed return,' coupled with the harsh economic situation in the home country, have made life almost unbearable for the majority of them. The study revealed that there are no well-organized and institutionalized support programs by either state or non-state actors in Ghana for deportees, making it very difficult for them to re-integrate into the home society. Unsurprisingly, many of those who could not adjust and reintegrate into the Ghanaian society are planning to re-migrate. A number of policy recommendations were proposed, based on the findings of the study, to help improve the livelihood of deportees to prevent remigrationItem A critical look at rural-urban migration in Sub-Saharan Africa in the era of climate change(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Mohamed, F.A.Research shows significant association between the environment and migration. The specific relationship between environmental changes and migration is a recent study area. Environmental change impacts have been explained as dependent on location and context, nature of environmental change and dominant social structures driving migration. Climate change and rural-urban migration in Africa is gaining increased prominence in research circles. Recurrent themes include food security, health, poverty, gender, vulnerability and urbanization. Some analysts labeled the situation in Sudan's Darfur region the "world's first climate change war" The term 'environmental refugee' was first used by Lester Brown of World Watch Institute in the 1970s, however, environmental migrants are invisible in the international system due to inadequate definition of environmental/climate-induced migrants under international law. [t is estimated that 17 million people were displaced by natural hazards (including geophysical events) in 2009 and 42 million in 2010. Climate change effects are mostly felt among rural populations whose livelihoods depend on natural resources and economies. A cross- country analysis of determinants of urbanization in SSA suggests deteriorating rainfall conditions increase rural-urban migration. Agricultural failure primarily harms the rural poor through food insecurity and low income. Different coping strategies depend on influencing factors such as demographic and economic what? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified climate change as a growing crisis with the greatest single impact on human migration. Migration in the face of global environmental change may be part of the problem and also part of the solution. Global and localized efforts are required to ensure environmental sustainability.Item Regular and irregular international migration of parent(s): the experiences of left-behind Children in Accra and Sunyani(School of Social Science, 2018-04-17) Abutima, T.K.This study sought to examine the extent to which international migration of parent(s) impacts on children left-behind, with specific reference to their educational performance. The study adopted a mix of both quantitative and qualitative approaches through the use of questionnaire and in-depth interviews as the main instruments of data gathering. This study involved 227 participants and respondents comprising 213 basic school children from both migrant and non-migrant households, 8 basic school teachers and 6 caregivers of children left behind in Accra and Sunyani. The ages of the children involved in the study ranged from 10 to 16 years. The findings of the study revealed that, in the Ghanaian context, the effects of parental migration on children, whether desirable or undesirable depended on other factors such as living arrangement, care and support that the children receive, the migration status of the parent(s) other than the mere parental separation.