MiTra|WA

West Africa is a region of migration par excellence. However, contrary to the popular image of a dominant West African-European migration nexus, 90% of international migration from West Africa takes place within the region (IOM, 2021). In addition to these estimated 8 million international migrants, millions of people migrate within their country, temporally, seasonally or permanently.

Analyses of these mobilities either tend to focus on social and economic impacts in migrants' places of origin or at their destinations. By applying a translocal livelihood and mobility approach on the household level, our project focusses on the interlinkages and dynamics between these places. Hereby, we seek to better understand the drivers, practices, structures and processes of rural-urban and cross-border migration and their interconnected impacts for rural and urban settings. Focusing on Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria, we emphasize challenges on social, political and ecological levels such as land use and changing gender relations, the growth of urban agglomerations and environmental change.

In our series, "Migration, translocality and development in times of climate change” we present the latest results, excerpts from our work, as well as interim results or outcomes of small-scale studies. This series is part of our Climate & Environmental Services which we provide to the public. It focusses on topics relating to climate and environmental change in connection with migration, but will also feature papers on other relevant issues in relation to migration in West Africa.
Out now:

• Socio-Economic Development and Migration in Rural Ghana. Report from Field Research in Amedzofe, Volta Region. Mitra|WA Working Paper Series Volume 3

Coming up in September/October 2024:

• The stone-made myth of return: Housing and migration in rural Ghana