By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
A Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, Dr Owusuaa Eshia Nortey, has attributed the recent influx of migrants into Ghana to increased security measures in the Mediterranean region.
According to Dr Nortey, many of these migrants would typically aim to travel to Libya, Algeria, or Morocco. However, due to heightened security along Mediterranean routes, they are left with few alternatives and often find themselves in Ghana.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show during a discussion on evacuating undocumented migrants, Dr Nortey explained that the primary drivers of migration include the search for climate adaptation, access to education, and basic services — all of which migrants perceive as more available in Ghana.
She described many of the migrants as environmental migrants who usually work on farms during specific times of the year. While acknowledging the presence of human trafficking syndicates, she emphasized that a significant number of migrants are genuinely seeking better opportunities.
Dr Nortey also pointed out that Ghana’s reputation for hospitality, coupled with the visibility of returnees who come back home with goods and wealth, serves as a pull factor. This sometimes leads migrants, including children, to resort to begging on the streets of Accra.
Her comments come in the wake of a recent operation by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), which rounded up over 2,000 undocumented foreign nationals found begging on the streets in parts of Accra, including Kaneshie, Abossey Okai, and the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
