Imagine returning home after a difficult journey abroad, only to face the daunting challenge of rebuilding your life from scratch. This is the reality for thousands of migrants returning to Ghana each year. But here’s where it gets inspiring: in 2024, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) stepped in to support over 900 of these returnees, offering a lifeline to help them regain their footing. According to the IOM Ghana’s 2024 Annual Overview of Returns and Reintegration report, a staggering 937 out of 1,723 returnees received economic assistance to foster their financial independence.
But what does this support actually look like? It’s not just about handing out cash. The IOM provided vocational tools, equipment for income-generating activities, and start-up kits to empower returnees to launch micro-businesses. For instance, a returnee with carpentry skills might receive a toolkit to start a small furniture-making business, turning their expertise into a sustainable livelihood. And this is the part most people miss: the report also highlights that 630 returnees received psychosocial assistance, including counseling and trauma healing sessions, to address the emotional scars often left by migration journeys.
But here’s where it gets controversial: while the IOM’s efforts are commendable, the report reveals that economic factors—like the search for better employment—drove 60% of migrants to leave Ghana in the first place. This raises a thought-provoking question: Are we doing enough to create opportunities at home so fewer people feel compelled to migrate? Dr. Stephen Tindi, a lecturer at the University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UNiMAC), emphasizes that the media plays a crucial role in dispelling the myth of “greener pastures” abroad and promoting regular, safe migration pathways.
The IOM’s approach, which includes Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) and Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) programs, ensures that returns are safe, dignified, and sustainable. Yet, during a recent capacity-building training for journalists in northern Ghana, the IOM expressed concern over the high rate of irregular migration. The training, part of the ATUU – A Ghanaian-European Safe and Prosperous People’s Mobility Project on Migration Governance, underscored the media’s responsibility to educate the public about the risks of irregular migration.
So, what do you think? Is the IOM’s support enough, or should more be done to address the root causes of migration? Let’s start a conversation in the comments—your perspective matters!
