La Migration, C’est Une Tradition, C’est Une Mode De Vie”: The Nigerien Migrants On The Streets Of Accra.

Abstract

The presence of Tuareg migrants on the streets of Accra confirms the idea that south-south migration is prominent on the African continent. It also presents a case of international migration for begging as a form of economic mobility outside formal labour markets yet within the framework of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement. Drawing on 21 in-depth interviews and informal conversations with participants from the Accra mall area and Sabon Zongo in Accra, this study examines the distinctive form of migration for begging amongst the Tuareg migrants on the streets of Accra as part of intra-regional migration flows in West Africa. Data were analysed within the framework of the Push-Pull Plus model and the culture of migration with themes generated accordingly. My findings show that following the 1970s and the 1980s drought in Niger and other parts of the Sahel region, and the various Tuareg rebellions that have happened between that time and now in Niger and Mali, racially white Tuareg migrants, in particular, have been drawn to Ghana. Over the years, these Tuareg migrants have developed a culture of migration for begging in Ghana. This is because Ghana is a politically stable country with democratic provisions that allow the Tuareg migrants some rights and freedoms. The political and economic freedoms afforded the Tuareg migrants in Ghana match their economic interests. This international migration for begging amongst the Tuaregs in Accra is engendered by the fact that begging is a common phenomenon in Ghana’s Zongo communities, which are usually the first places of residence for the Tuareg migrants in Accra. These, coupled with the fact that there is a somewhat lax approach to the implementation of laws on begging in Ghana as compared to other countries in the sub-region where the Tuareg migrants report negative experiences with the law enforcement agencies, make begging a favourable means to income generation amongst the Tuareg migrants. Furthermore, the Tuareg migrants on the streets of Accra, albeit foreigners in another country, are not totally cut off the Ghanaian society. Although they prefer residential segregation, there are nonetheless aspects of their living arrangements that have traces of Ghanaian societies.