Immigration into Ghana, 1880s–1960s: An examination of the underlying factors

Abstract

By the 1960s, the size of Ghana’s immigrant population had increased, in spite of the numerous immigration regulations devised by all the governments that came to power before the Progress Party government in an attempt to control the frequent influx of migrants into Ghana. If such was the situation, the implication is that Ghana offered favourable conditions to migrants, particularly those from neighbouring West African countries. Circumstances in the origins of the migrants also played considerable roles in the emigration of people who eventually found themselves in Ghana. This paper situates immigration into Ghana during the 1880s–1960s period in a historical context and, with the employment of the pull-and-push, or internal-external, approach, examines the circumstances under which population movements into Ghana occurred. The thrust of the paper seeks to offer a theoretical explanation, consequent on factual evidence, for the growth of Ghana’s immigrant population during the stipulated period