ECONOMIC MIGRATION TO THE GULF STATES: THE CASE OF GHANAIAN WOMEN MIGRANTS

ABSTRACT

The study examines economic migration from Ghanaian female migrants to the Gulf States. The study examines, specifically, the trends of female migration to the Gulf States within the last decade, the main factors that is influencing the migration, the experiences of the female migrants once they arrive in the Gulf States, as well as some policy recommendations to address the issues that Ghanaian women face when they migrate to the Gulf States. Relying on the neo-classical equilibrium theory which emphasizes economic conditions as the primary reason for migration, the study is a qualitative study which employs such data collection tools as interviews in semi-structured format and extensive literature review to gather the necessary data for analysis. Interviews were sampled through the snowball sampling technique from the Ghana Immigration Service, the International Organization for Migration, as well as several returned migrants from the Gulf States. This exploratory research discovered a consistent increase in the number of women who have migrated to the Gulf States in recent years. The factors that account for the migration include the limited employment opportunities in Ghana, the desire for better work opportunities and higher wages, as well as the desire to escape poverty. Once they arrive in the Gulf region, the study discovered that the women experience sexual harassment and assault, exploitation and bad working conditions, as well as the downsides of the Kafaala system, especially because of their African heritage. Ghana has enacted some policies and regulations, some of which address the problems that the Ghanaian women face in the Gulf. The policies analyzed in this research include the Ghana Immigration Act and its amendment (2000 and 2012, respectively), the National Migration Policy, and the Inter-Governmental Agency Cooperation, involving such institutions as the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and so on. The study concluded that even though the Ghanaian female migrants travel to the Gulf States for better economic fortunes, their conditions while they are there are deplorable. To that, the researcher recommends that the Government of Ghana and the private sector work together to protect Ghanaian migrants abroad; the Government and the Gulf States should come to a formal agreement that would protect Ghanaian citizens in the region; the Ghanaian government should fully implement the National Migration Policy; the Ghanaian diplomatic community in the region should intensify their monitoring of Ghanaian citizens in the region; and cooperate with international organization to address some of the problems identified by Ghanaian women in the Gulf region.