Returns from the South

Effects of return migration of Ghanaian migrants from China on livelihoods and wealth inequalities in Ghana

Dados Bibliográficos

ID9952811
AutoresLeander Kandilige (0000-0001-8159-1305, Centre for Migration studies, University of Ghana Accra Ghana, autor correspondente), Joseph Awetori Yaro (0000-0002-2701-3253, Department of Geography and Resource Development University of Ghana Accra Ghana)
Ano2023
Volume62
Fascículo1
Páginas6-22
Data de publicação2023-09-29
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternational Migration (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0020-7985 • E-ISSN: 1468-2435
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/imig.13192
OpenAlexW4387186281
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas41

The sedentary bias that characterizes discourses on migrations from and within the Global South has failed to inform a consistent exploration of international migration from and among global southern countries as normal, desirable and impactful to migrants and their social networks at different spatial levels. Migration‐development nexus analyses are predominantly framed around Global South‐Global North migration episodes whereby cash and social remittances from the North to the South are expected to trigger development in poorer global southern origin countries. This approach neglects the possibility of similar outcomes accruing from south‐south migrations. Drawing on qualitative research methods among Ghanaian migrants to China, our paper addresses the question how does south‐south migration affect livelihoods and wealth inequality? We argue that blunt global categorizations such as “Global South” and “Global North” only serve to obfuscate what is a rather heterogenous bunch of countries, with divergent opportunities for migrants. We recommend that greater focus should be on the contextual factors at the origin and destination, the quality of return preparedness and the human capital of the migrants rather than an arbitrary clustering around a binary Global South‐Global North trajectory as though they are internally homogenous. We conclude that there is heterogeneity in the effects of south‐south migration on household livelihoods and wealth inequalities

Agriculture · China · Demographic economics · Development economics · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Global South · Inequality · Livelihood · Nexus (standard · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy