ANNEX: Research Component Blue Group

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(ANNEX: Research component Blue group)

Concept note

APPLICANT AND PARTNERS

SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT (MAX: 1 PAGE)

1. To fill the knowledge gaps on migration in Ghanathrough research.
2. To provide research evidence for policy adoption to stem irregular migration of young men and women from Ghana to Europe and other parts of the world in search of greener pastures.
3. To conduct research on existing profitable ventures/projects and programmes on food security and employment in local sending communities in Ghana and thereby encourage Diaspora and return migrants’ investment in them in order to promote human development in Ghana.
4. To foster and strengthen dialogue between migrants and institutions and organizations in Ghana.
5. To research into the process of reintegration of returning migrants and provide evidence on how stakeholders can facilitate the process.
6. To assess migration and development policies and practices of governments in Ghana, Philippines, Italy and Netherlands
7. To assess actions and processes promoted by UN and international organizations in Ghana, Philippines, Italy and Netherlands in the field of migration and development

1. Potential Migrants: Unemployed educated and uneducated Ghanaian youth and adults who may seek livelihood abroad.
2. Individual Ghanaian migrants and associations in the Netherlands and Italy who desire to contribute to development projects in Ghana.
3. Individual Ghanaian migrants in Italy and The Netherlands who desire to return to Ghana and are in need of information on profitable venture and assistance for easy return and reintegration.
4. Undocumented irregular Ghanaian migrants in Italy and the Netherlands who desire to return to Ghana but need a source of livelihood in Ghana.
5. Return Ghanaian migrants who are seeking a source of livelihood in Ghana and are in need of support to reintegrate successfully.

1. Better understanding of the migration and human development nexus in Ghana
2. Adoption of evidence-based policies by the Ghana Government and other stakeholders for the management of migration and related processes in the country
3. Reduction in irregular migration from Ghana to Europe and other destinations.
4. Investment in profitable ventures by Diaspora and return migrants leading to creation of jobs in Ghana and possible reduction in emigration by the unemployed.
5. Improvement in the experience of return migration and reintegration among Ghanaian emigrants in Italy, The Netherlands and elsewhere.

1. Researchon irregular migration beyond the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana
2. Research on existing food security pojects and areas of profitble ventures for investment and other ventures such as wood lots and tourism sector.
3. Production of policy briefs for dissemination of findings (knowledge sharing) among stakeholders at origin and the Diasporan communities in Italy, The Netherlands and beyond
4. Dissemination of research findings in Ghana to stakeholders and among TRANSCODE partners.

RELEVANCE OF THE PROJECT (MAX 3 PAGES)

1. Relevance to the particular needs and constraints of the target country/countries, region(s) and/or relevant sectors.

Until 1969 when Ghana implemented an anti-immigration law named “aliens compliance law” that required all foreign nationals to leave the country, Ghana was a major destination of immigrants. Emigration became a major process of Ghana’s population dynamics in the late 1970’s. Ghana, like many other developing countries, had a down turn in its economy then and it led to massive emigration of both skilled and unskilled labour from the country. In an attempt to recover from the economic crises that spanned into the 1980s and 90’s, Ghana implemented the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) that were recommended by the World Bank. The impacts of the SAPs also brought hardships including rise in unemployment levels that also resulted in emigration of the labour force to Europe, North America and other African countries. More recent migrations have been to parts of Asia particularly Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries in the Middle East.

But Ghanaians have migrated as transnationals and have engaged themselves economically, socially and politically with Ghana and their destination countries. Overtime, Ghana has derived benefits from migrant remittances and associated emerging financial institutions for money transfer, among other benefits. Anecdotal sources of information indicate that over 3 million Ghanaians are resident outside the country and most of them would have liked to return to Ghana if they are assisted. Many Ghanaians, especially the unemployed youth, also migrate irregularly and try to settle in various countries in Europe such as Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and Germany. They lack social protection. Even some of those who are regular migrants also lack social protection. Ghanaians migrate to other African countries, and more recently to oil-rich Middle East countries. Hundreds of Ghanaians were repatriated from Libya to Ghana by the government with the assistance of the International Organization on Migration (IOM) following the “Arab Spring”.

Ghana has,however, never adopted a policy on migration, except the immigration law which is on foreigners in Ghana. The only major effort that the government of Ghana has made is the passing of the dual citizenship bill. A recent effort to adopt a migration policy to manage the migration process and put it on the development agenda of the country has also been initiated and will soon be passed into a law.

As part of the expert team drafting the migration policy of Ghana, the Centre for Migration Studies has realised that Ghana needs research evidence to adopt and implement the migration policy. Presently, the developing of the migration policy for the country is based largely on scanty research findings and anecdotal information. Moreover an assessment of the policies and programmes of other countries such as the Philippines, Italy and the Netherlands holds a promise of adoption of evidence-based migration policy. This cannot be overemphasized. Again, the recommendations on the migration-development nexus that have been promoted by the UN and international organizations in Ghana, Philippines, Italy and Netherlands in the field of migration and development should be have been assessed through research by the expert team on the migration policy.

The research, partnership with stakeholders in Ghana and related activities of the Centre for Migration Studies have indicated that Ghana can benefit from the experience of other countries if it undertakes a comprehensive research study on some issues on migration in the country and by learning from other countries such as the Philippines, Italy and the Netherlands. Areas such as irregular migration will be covered under this project. So far, research activities on irregular migration have focused on the Brong Ahafo Region where the phenomenon has been most prevalent. However, the activities of AFDOM indicate that irregular migration is not only uncommon in the northern parts of Ghana but has increased overtime. Other parts of Ghana also experience irregular migration as well as regular migration. The influx of migrants into Ghana has been expected as it joined other nations in December 2010 as an oil-producing country. For this and other reasons, the immigration policy of Ghana can also be re-examined when lessons are learnt from other countries such as Italy and the Netherlands.

Accordingly, the present project seeks to provide research evidence from research activities that address the migration-development nexus in the country in a comprehensive manner. Its multi-stakeholder approach and transnational partnership nature makes it unique and exceptionally comprehensive in seeking to examine the migration and development nexus. No institution or organization in Ghana has yet embarked on research activities such as being proposed here and now with transnational partnership and at both origin and destination areas.

2. Describe and define the target groups, their needs and constraints and how the action will address these needs

The research study targets potential irregular migrants, those who have returned and those in Italy and The Netherlands. Its findings will however be of benefit to other diasporan communities elsewhere. The activities of AFDOM covers several areas including the following: acquisition and screening of documentary films on the risks associated with irregular migration to Europe, formation of Anti Irregular Migration Clubs in schools and communities to stimulate deeper reflections on the issues, organization of workshops to train agents of the educational campaign, organization of radio and television discussions on irregular migration. Further research studies will lend greater support to these programmes in northern Ghana and extended elsewhere in the country where Ghanaian young people especially have been migrating without travel documents. All these are in line with the government’s decision to control irregular migration from the country as a means of enhancing the human development efforts of the country.

Moreover, the diasporan communities have been transnational migrants whose economic and other activities have been manifest in various areas in the Ghana. The emergence money transfer institutions and some developments in the financial sector are evidence of remittance flows from migrants. Research activities that seek to investigate into most profitable ventures in the country so as to inform the Diaspora on these areas can boost their motivation to return in a shorter possible time and to invest in businesses in Ghana. Those who have returned will also receive information that can support their determination, if any, to stay in Ghana.

The project will reach millions of Ghanaian potential migrants and migrants as the findings of the research are disseminated through the media and the educational campaign in partnership with AFDOM and other partners. Policy adoption that will be based on the research evidence will also be basis for adopting better social response to the needs of the various target groups. Presently, there is a a belief that mass emigration is not taking place in Ghana any more. This can send signals to government and stakeholders to neglect migration in the development agenda.

The present project is timely and will promote a sense of recognizing migration and human development as an important element of the Ghana’s development process.Above all, the research activities will lead to an improvement in the overall human resource development of Ghana- of the target groups and the whole country.

3. Transcode elements

A transnational partnership of institutions (academic and non-academic) and public and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Global North (Italy and The Netherlands) and Global South (Ghana and Philippines), at origin (Ghana) and destination areas (Italy and The Netherlands), has been fostered to carry out the research project with the aim of contributing to the management of the migration process in Ghana and the countries of the partners. This partnership seeks to synergistically engage in activities, share experiences and pooling together resources for the common good, human development, and achieving of shared goals across transnational boundaries that benefits all actors (potential migrants, migrants, return migrants, governments and other stake holders) in the migration process through the research and other activities. The project will also contribute to the institutional and research capacity building of the Centre for Migration Studies, other partners and other stakeholders at both origin and destination areas.