A study on cross-border migration in Ghana has identified extortion at official border posts, lack of travel documents and financial difficulties as key factors pushing West African itinerant traders to use unapproved routes.
The study, conducted by Professor Elijah Yendaw of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), found that Ghana’s border management strategy must address the challenges confronting migrants at official crossing points rather than relying mainly on increased surveillance.
The findings are contained in a policy brief titled “Free Movement, Unapproved Routes: Closing Ghana’s Documentation, Trust and Border-Governance Gaps for West African Itinerant Traders.”
The research, which focused on West African itinerant immigrant retailers in Ghana, sampled 779 respondents in the Accra Metropolis.
It found that 58.2 per cent of respondents entered Ghana through unapproved routes, compared with 41.8 per cent who used approved border crossings.
The study further established a strong link between access to travel documents and the choice of entry route.
According to the report, all respondents who said a lack of travel documents influenced their route choice used unapproved routes, while 98.4 per cent of those who had travel documents entered through approved routes.
Financial barriers
The study also identified the cost of regular travel as another major factor influencing migrants’ decisions.
It found that 95.8 per cent of respondents who experienced difficulty financing their journeys resorted to unapproved routes.
The findings suggest that some migrants may be choosing unofficial routes not simply to evade border controls but because formal channels are perceived as costly, difficult to navigate or inaccessible.
The policy brief consequently called for measures to make official border crossings “easier to understand, safer to use, more accountable and more attractive than unapproved alternatives.”
Extortion concerns
The research also documented reports from participants alleging harassment and demands for informal payments at some official crossing points.
The study, however, cautioned that the allegations were based on participant reports and should not be interpreted as independently verified estimates of misconduct.
It nevertheless argued that such experiences could undermine trust in official border systems and encourage travellers to seek alternative routes.
“A stronger policy response is, therefore, not simply more border control; it is better border governance,” the brief stated.
Call for easier documentation
The researchers recommended expanding access to travel documentation and improving pre-travel information for migrants.
They proposed that travellers should receive clear information on required documents, legitimate charges, expected processing times and avenues for lodging complaints at border posts.
The study also recommended using consulates, transport unions and migrant associations to educate travellers about documentation requirements as well as their rights and responsibilities under ECOWAS mobility arrangements.
Such information, it said, should be provided in commonly used regional languages through radio, transport terminals, visual materials and community leaders.
Six-point policy response
The policy brief proposed six broad measures to address the use of unapproved routes.
These include making approved crossing points easier to use, expanding documentation and pre-travel information, establishing credible anti-extortion and complaint mechanisms, using corridor-specific evidence to strengthen surveillance, developing reliable databases on migrant traders and border movements, and involving migrant associations and border communities in border governance.
The study also urged authorities to treat border communities as partners in orderly migration rather than merely surveillance zones.
It said involving local communities could help authorities map migration routes, disseminate information and identify emerging movement patterns.
The findings suggest that addressing the underlying barriers confronting migrants at official crossing points could complement security measures and encourage greater use of Ghana’s approved border routes.
