Project 3g
Re-integration of Return Migrants in the North-South Independent Child Migration in Ghana

Summary
The study on the independent north-south child migration, carried out under the aegis of the Migration DRC, revealed some interesting issues that require further research. One such critical issue is the re-adjustment or re-integration of return child migrants into the home community. For a considerable proportion of child migrants, the desire is to acquire some resources to start a new life. It would be important to examine how upon their return home, the migrants have succeeded in re-integrating themselves into the economy and community. In doing this, we need to compare the return migrants with their counterparts who have never migrated. This way, the extent to which child migrants constitutes a benefit or cost from the perspective of the return migrants who migrated as a child would become clearer.

Key Research Questions

	To what extent do child migrants return to their communities of origin for the purpose of re-integration? Do they return to the same households?
	What resources do they return home with?
	Which sectors of the home economy are they engaged in and what are their obligations to family and household members?
	What are the challenges facing return migrants’ re-integration into the home community?
	How do the return child migrants vary from their counterparts who never migrated in terms of their socio-economic progress?
	What relevant lessons are to be learnt for the way forward?
	What are the policy implications of their re-integration for poverty reduction?