A government statistician has called for policy direction on Ghanaian labour migration after a survey reveals about 25 per cent of immigrants who travel through unapproved routes die through the journey.

Professor Samuel Kobina Annim is calling for a review of economic policies that will examine the phenomenon of many Ghanaians travelling to other countries in search of jobs through unapproved routes.

His calls follow a revelation on a 2019 recruitment cost survey conducted by the Statistical Service and the International Labour Organisation which indicates that about 25 per cent of the people who leave the shores of the country through unapproved routes don't get to their destination.

“People die; disappear as a result of the migration process. So, if you have 25 percent of our migrants going through unapproved routes, we need to see whether our policies are well planned and our policies are well managed.”

The survey which was conducted last year 2019 was a pilot project for two regions thus Ashanti and Brong Ahafo.

The report also shows that it takes two months for recruits to pay back the cost of getting the employment.

On the average, more than one third of migrant workers went abroad with regular immigration without a work visa.