ISSER Demands Migration Policy

The Head of the Department for Migration Studies (DMS) of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) Dr Peter Clottey says the lack of a policy on migration has created a situation where everybody considers it as a bad idea.

Dispelling the notion that it is only the poor that migrate, Dr Clotey bemoans the lack of enough information on migration despite its 50% contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

Presenting a report on a research conducted by the DMS of ISSER on the migration of children from the three northern regions to the south at the inaugural meeting and launch of DRC Migration, Globalisation and Poverty Research Dissemination Network in Accra, Dr Clotey said the existence of a policy on migration would guide citizens on whether or not to migrate and to which part of the country.

Giving an overview of the research, Professor J.K Anarfi says development policies of government tend to prevent migration but they do not deter people from migrating. According to him, such policies have only increased the cost of migration.

In all, a total of 2,314 street children were interviewed in the commercial cities of Accra and Kumasi. A third (38%) out of the figure came from the Northern Region alone.

The research showed that whilst both sexes engaged in the migrating act, young females between the ages of 10-19 were more than their male counterparts resulting in fewer female presence ratio in some communities in especially, the Northern Region.

The research identified factors such as forced marriage and desire to acquire some household materials before getting married as influencing the migration of most young girls from the north to the south.

Contrary to the generally held view that children's migration could increase their vulnerability to economic exploitation, independent child migrants covered by the research said it rather afforded them the opportunity to earn an income to improve their lifestyle.

It is evident that the migration of people from the north to the south over the years where some of the migrants offered themselves as labourers and even acquired properties in the south, accounted to the south's development to the neglect of the north.