On the odyssey of the irregular Ghanaian migrant: Risk framing, mitigation and resilience strategies in an uncertain venture1

Abstract

This paper qualitatively probed the risk framing, mitigation and resilience strategies of irregular migrants in a bid to unravel the paradox of how such actors, perceived to be poor and as such may lack ideational and financial agency, with no guarantees of success, can (persistently) operationalize and undertake costly, illegal and dangerous international journeys. Drawing on responses from Europe‐based, deported and prospective first‐time irregular migrants either hailing from or domiciled in the Bono East, Bono and Ahafo Regions of Ghana, the findings of this study demonstrate that all three categories of respondents were risk‐neutral, had risk mitigation and resilient strategies enabled by, among others, involvement in informal/illegal solidaristic economic ventures, the utilization of extended family associational norms, trust in the efficacy of irregular migration service providers as against that of foreign missions and faith in providence.