TRANSNATIONAL PARADIGM WITHIN IMMIGRANT POLITICAL INTEGRATION DISCOURSE

Abstract

This study examines the interplay between transnational political practice and political integration of immigrants. The paper further poses two key questions: does transnational politics affect the political integration of immigrants? And does transnational political practice compete with or complement political integration in the host country? This paper presents a fieldwork on Ghanaian political party branches in the Netherlands and how their members live the multi-stranded political life of both host and home countries between March 2014 and October 2014. The study shows however that in spite of the political participation of Ghanaian immigrants in Amsterdam, political representation in both home and host countries is barely present in both host and home countries. The study also confirms previous studies that transnational politics does not compete rather with but rather complements political integration in the host country.