AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ORIGINS, IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTS OF GHANA'S 1969 ALIENS COMPLIANCE ORDER
- Project Research
- 1-5 Chapters
- Qualitative
- Historical
- Abstract : Available
- Table of Content: Available
- Reference Style: APA
- Recommended for : Student Researchers
- NGN 3000
Background Of The Study
In general, migration has been one of the most distinguishing elements of the African way of life, and people have been moving from one locality to another since prehistoric times. Throughout the history of West Africa, long-distance international migrations have happened. People relocated and settled in areas where opportunities appeared to be good2. Thus, many West African countries may see a huge number of immigrants who settled down to live and work or who came occasionally, stayed for a short time, and then returned to their native countries3. The movement of people from one locality to another became more evident during the colonial era, as by then, international political boundaries had been formed and arbitrarily imposed on Africa, separating one nation-state from others, but not in the deeper sense.
As a result, cross-border migration remained even after the country gained independence. In fact, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, and The Gambia were the three main destinations for migrants in West Africa in the 1960s4. As more immigrants arrived in Ghana, they progressively came to dominate certain areas of the economy, primarily the secondary or low-wage jobs sector, despite the fact that they could initially only find work as labourers or in commerce. Nigerians established a stronghold in diamond digging and smuggling; yam sales at the Kumasi Central Market were monopolized by men from Gao in Mali; and three-fifths of the country's butchers were immigrants, largely Hausa.
Previous governments did not stand idly in the face of an increasing immigrant population and the economic implications that entails. To regulate immigration, colonial authorities established a slew of immigration policies. While some laws established Ghanaian citizenship, others governed the types of persons who might enter Ghana, the standards they had to meet before entering, the length and terms of their stay, and the situations under which immigrants could be deported from Ghana. In 1954, for example, several Nigerians were deported6.
During the colonial period, however, immigration was not successfully restricted. As a result, the rate of expulsion of foreigners during that period was not as high as it became in most African countries after independence. The presence of migrants and their reliance on the economy had not yet become a major political issue at the time. However, the most crucial motivation was that the colonial authorities desired a cheap labour force and tax payers. As a result, even if they were not directly imported by colonial administrations, migrants were safeguarded by colonial authorities in whichever countries they found themselves7.
Numerous immigration regulations were enacted under the CPP administration. There were laws that reserved certain areas of the economy for Ghanaians and others that were intended to attract foreign capital investment in Ghana, detailing the obligations of investors, investment protection, and incentives for investors. Despite these measures, many immigrants entered Ghana illegally, did not bother to legalize their stay, and entered specific sectors of the economy where Ghanaian law prohibited them from doing so.
Furthermore, it was widely assumed that the achievement of independence gave some countries with the opportunity to get rid of foreigners in their midst at a faster rate8. Indeed, after independence, expulsion and deportation became, and continue to be, typical policy measures aimed at illegal migrants living in African countries, particularly when the host countries' economies began to suffer setbacks. Ghana, for example, deported Amadu Baba and Alhaji Lalemi, two leaders of the opposition National Liberation Movement in Kumasi, in 1958. 9Ghana ejected several Burkinabes once more in 196110. However, the rate of expulsion of immigrants in Ghana was not as high as previously thought. Even during the Nkrumah administration, deportations were mostly done for political reasons rather than for immigrants breaking immigration regulations.
The welcoming climate fostered by the colonial and Nkrumah administrations attracted numerous non-Ghanaians to enter Ghana and dominate the secondary sector of the economy. This was obviously a concern, but as long as there were no major setbacks in the economy and immigrants were doing jobs that locals did not want to do, the increasing number of immigrants did not matter all that much11. However, by the mid-1960s, the situation had altered. Ghana's economy and social conditions have deteriorated. Ghana was hampered by a balance-of-payments imbalance, rising unemployment, and rising crime and smuggling levels12. A severe shortage of critical items struck the country in 1964 and lasted until the coup of 1966. Cocoa prices had also plummeted on the global market13. As a result, dissatisfaction with the immigrant population began to spread.
Despite the government's efforts to rescue the situation, the country's economy had not improved appreciably by the time the NLC handed over power to the civilian Progress Party. Furthermore, the issue of many immigrants and their economic activity in the country has not been thoroughly addressed. Before leaving office, the NLC determined that the country's citizenship regulations should be changed so that in order to qualify as a Ghanaian, one must have at least one Ghanaian parent14. The NLC issued a directive to all missions of countries with nationals in Ghana in July 1969, demanding that they arrange for adequate registration and documentation of their citizens15.
According to reports, the directive was not taken seriously by the various embassies and high commissions. Thus, the Busia administration came to power with many illegal immigrants in the country and their dominance of some aspects of the economy, unemployment among Ghanaians, a shortage of foreign exchange exacerbated by monies repatriated by immigrants and traders, large-scale smuggling, and an allegedly high percentage of foreigners among criminals in the country. In response to these issues and other politically motivated considerations, the government decided to take decisive action16. As a result, on November 18, 1969, the Aliens Compliance Order was issued, providing a two-week grace period for any immigrants without residence permits to get them or leave the country by December 2, 196917.
The Aliens Compliance Order, as its name implies, required all immigrants who did not have residence permits, whether they were non-Ghanaian, Africans, or non-Africans, to comply with Ghana's immigration laws, particularly the Aliens Act, 1963 (Act 160) and the Aliens (Amendment) Act (Act 265), both passed during Nkrumah's era, as well as the NLC directive requiring all ille Though the Order was aimed to compel immigrants without residence permits to obtain the requisite travel documents, it resulted in the wholesale expulsion of foreigners, primarily Africans, because they were predominantly individuals who had not regularized their stay17.
By the time the Order was issued, the immigrant population was estimated to be around 2.5 million18, and some immigrant groups, particularly local-born immigrants, had become fully integrated into the country's economic and social life and were contributing in various ways to Ghana's economic and social development19. Because the 1969 Ghanaian mass expulsion of immigrants was not unlike to past expulsions in Africa and worldwide, it has been stated that the Busia government carried out the expulsion primarily for Ghana's economic and security reasons. Other equally contending variables, however, were found to combine and conspire with Ghana's economic and security problems, as happened in the case of other countries, to influence the government's decision to issue the expulsion order. The abrupt mass departure of immigrants, particularly those in the labor force, had an influence on Ghana's economic, social, and political life, as well as relations between Ghana and the countries whose nationals were affected by the expulsion order. The significance of the expulsion order, as well as the expulsion itself, deserves to be recognized and documented for the sake of clarity for the current generation and posterity.
1.2 Statement Of The Problem
The expulsion of approximately two million immigrants from Ghana in 1969, as a result of the issuance and enforcement of the Aliens Compliance Order, was a watershed country in Ghana's history. Despite this, no substantial endeavor has been dedicated solely to its examination and documentation. There is some literature on the issue, although it is dispersed and fragmented. The expulsion was divided into three parts: the circumstances that led to the issuance of the Aliens Compliance Order or the reasons for its issuance; the enforcement of the Order; and the impact of the Order. Due to the perspectives from which they address the subject, several publications focus on only one or two aspects of the expulsion, mainly its enforcement and impacts, leaving its origins and purpose out. Due to the apparent lack of extensive research into the expulsion, they give conflicting viewpoints even in their selectiveness. In many areas, for example, it is widely assumed that the Busia government issued the Aliens Compliance Order primarily due to xenophobic sentiments or at the request of international financial bodies20. Some scholars suggest that most Busia government policies were continuations of NLC policies, implying that there were political reasons for the expulsion; however, these reasons are not adequately explained for a better understanding. Other studies argue that the government's actions were merely a continuation of a process begun by the NLC or even the Nkrumah dictatorship21.
In terms of how the order was carried out, some feel it was harsh, but others disagree. According to some studies, the expulsion caused the economy to virtually collapse, while others argue that it allowed Ghanaians to reclaim control of the economy from the hands of immigrants. Other aspects of the expulsion, such as the repercussions on relations between Ghana and the nations whose nationals were affected, are met with equally compelling opposing arguments.
As an order, there is conflict about how immigrants were treated prior to the Aliens Compliance Order, the objectives for which the Order was issued, how the Order was implemented, and the effects on Ghana and its foreign ties. The study's problem is that the context in which the 1969 Aliens Compliance Order was enforced is not clearly understood. The disparities in viewpoints stated by various writers, as well as the incomplete nature of extant literature on the expulsion, have created a considerable gap in our knowledge and comprehension of the context in which the Order was implemented. If the problem is not overcome, the result will be not only more ignorance or a lack of understanding of what the order was all about, but also the mindless acceptance of only the partial viewpoints and conclusions of works to which readers have access. As a result, the researcher decided to do a thorough investigation of the Aliens Compliance Order and the expulsion of illegal immigrants in order to comprehend and account for the origins, implementation, and implications of the 1969 Ghanaian expulsion order in order to fill the void.
1.3 Purpose Of The Study
Events that affect the country and the lives of its people in all sectors shape the course of a nation's history. Every significant event contributes to the accelerated or slow, positive or negative, socioeconomic and political development of a country, its people, institutions, and so on. In light of this, every significant event, regardless of its magnitude, deserves to be recognized and documented for the benefit of the current generation and, more importantly, for the use and direction of future generations.
The widespread expulsion of illegal immigrants from Ghana in 1969 was a key event in Ghana's history, although extensive research and proper facts are scarce. The majority of people are aware that the expulsion order expelled immigrants from the country. Few people are aware of the circumstances that led to the Order's issuance and enforcement, how the Order was actually implemented, and the effects the Order had on Ghana's economic, social, and political lives. Some people are also unaware that the Ghana government's actions impacted the country's relations with other countries, particularly those with which it shares common borders and whose nationals were the most affected.
Only comprehensive research would provide a greater understanding of the context in which the expulsion order was implemented in 1969. Thus, using the internal-external approach and approaching the expulsion order from a historical perspective, the study traces the origins of the November 18, 1969 Aliens Compliance Order, examines how it was enforced, and evaluates the effects of the expulsion on Ghana itself and the nature of Ghana's foreign relations during and after the expulsion exercise. Specifically, the study is aimed at:
(a) Examining the factors that have contributed to the increase in the immigrant population;
(b) Identifying previous measures dealing with immigration and the activities of immigrants in the country, as well as assessing the relative effectiveness of their enforcement prior to the issuance of the Aliens Compliance Order;
(c) Reassessing the possible reasons or objectives for which the Order was issued;
(d) Investigating how the decision was implemented;
(e) Investigating the economic, social, and political effects of the expulsion on Ghana and its relations with its neighbors; and
(f) Contributing to knowledge in the field of study by assisting in putting the expulsion order into historical perspective and presenting a well-researched work on the Ghanaian mass expulsion of 1969/1970.
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