Alleged extortion at Ghana’s official border posts, coupled with financial difficulties and inadequate travel documentation, is pushing some immigrants to enter the country through unapproved routes, a study has found.

The research argues that efforts to strengthen border security must extend beyond surveillance and address the underlying challenges that discourage travellers from using authorised entry points.

The study, titled “Cross-Border Migration of Itinerant Immigrant Retailers in Ghana”, was conducted by Professor Elijah Yendaw, a professor of Population and Migration Studies at the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in Wa.

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Its findings were outlined in a policy brief titled “Free Movement, Unapproved Routes: Closing Ghana’s Documentation, Trust and Border-Governance Gaps for West African Itinerant Traders”.

Using data collected from 779 itinerant retailers from West African countries in the Accra Metropolis, the study found that 58.2 per cent entered Ghana through unapproved routes, while 41.8 per cent used recognised border crossings.

All respondents reportedly travelled by land, with 71.9 per cent using buses or other vehicles and the remaining 28.1 per cent making the journey on foot.

The findings established a strong link between access to travel documents and migrants’ choice of entry route. All respondents who cited a lack of documentation as a factor in their decision said they used unapproved routes. In contrast, 98.4 per cent of those with travel documents entered through official crossing points.

Financial hardship was also identified as a significant factor, with 95.8 per cent of respondents who struggled to fund their journeys choosing unapproved routes.

The policy brief also documented participants’ allegations of harassment and demands for unofficial payments at some authorised border posts. However, it cautioned that the claims reflected the experiences reported by participants and should not be treated as independently verified estimates of misconduct.

According to the report, effective migration management requires improved border governance rather than an exclusive focus on tightening controls. It called for official crossing points to be made safer, more transparent, easier to navigate and more appealing than irregular alternatives.

The study proposed six policy interventions, including simplifying the use of approved routes, improving access to travel documents and pre-departure information, and establishing credible mechanisms for reporting extortion.

It also recommended evidence-led surveillance along specific migration corridors, stronger databases on mobile immigrant traders and cross-border movements, and closer collaboration with migrant associations and border communities.

The report said travellers should receive clear information about required documents, authorised fees, expected processing times and available complaint or support channels at border posts.

It further proposed working with consulates, transport unions, migrant associations, community leaders and other stakeholders to educate travellers about documentation requirements and their rights and responsibilities under ECOWAS free-movement protocols.

Such information, it said, should be communicated in widely spoken regional languages through radio, transport terminals, visual materials and other accessible platforms.

The study also urged authorities to regard border communities as partners in orderly migration. It said their involvement could support route mapping, public education and the early identification of changing migration patterns.