Most people migrate to escape poverty – Samira Bawumia

Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Samira Bawumia has stated that the prevalence of rural-urban migration is motivated by the need to escape poverty.

“The decision to migrate is related to important life transitions such as obtaining higher education, finding and starting work, getting married even and a way to escape from poverty, violence, gender-based discrimination or the impact of environmental factors” she noted.

She reiterated that most of the people had to move from their communities or state in order to seek greener pastures elsewhere and admitted that the word and phenomenon of ‘migration’ has been part of human experience for a long time.

Samira Bawumia was speaking at a ‘Roundtable Forum’ organised by the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) at the British Council in Accra Tuesday morning on the theme ‘Challenges and Opportunities of African Youth; Migration, The Untold Stories.’

She said the World Migration Report in 2018 started that “There were an estimated 244 million of migrants worldwide in 2015.”

“Young migrates constitute a relatively large proportion of overall migrates population. Most international migrates are of the working age between 20 and 24 which represent 72% of overall migrates population” he added.

Migration is a term that encompasses a wide variety of movements and situations that involve people from all walks of life and backgrounds.

More than ever before, migration touches all states and people in an era of deepening globalization.

Migration is intertwined with geopolitics, trade and cultural exchange, and provides opportunities for states, businesses and communities to benefit enormously. It has helped improve people’s lives in both origin and destination countries and has offered opportunities for millions of people worldwide to forge safe and meaningful lives abroad.

Not all migration occurs in positive circumstances, however. We have in recent years seen an increase in migration and displacement occurring due to conflict, persecution, environmental degradation and change, and a profound lack of human security and opportunity.