'All that glitters is not gold" An exploratory study of 'trapped migrants' in Ghana
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Date
2015-04-17
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University of Ghana
Abstract
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.
Description
School of social sciences colloquium
Keywords
knowledge gap, Social Networks, Information Communications Technologies (ICT), Globalization