The 1969 Ghana Deportation Order: Memory and Reminiscences of Yoruba Migrants

Introduction In the decade following independence in West Africa, the challenges of nation-building spurred a new wave of nationalism, ethno-nationalism, economic competition, and political instability that increasingly undermined the historical legacy of Pan-Africanism. This chapter's central focus is the expulsion of Yoruba migrants, along with other foreign nationals, from Ghana in November/December 1969, which significantly redefined notions of citizenship. The 1969 Alien Compliance Order aimed to enforce the Deportation Act of 1957, granting authority to the Governor General, Prime Minister, or Head of State to expel individuals whose presence in Ghana was perceived as detrimental to the public good. Although the Act was initially applicable to non-Ghanaians only, it was later extended to include citizens who were considered political opponents. Many African migrants, including Yoruba, Syrians, and Lebanese, resided in Ghana without the required residence permits mandated by the law. According to the Ghana Nationality and Citizenship Act, Act 1 of 1957, a person could not be a citizen by birth unless one of their parents or grandparents was born in Ghana. Citizenship Rights and Denial in a Post-Colonial Context Due to their long-standing migration and settlement, some Yoruba families were eligible for Ghanaian citizenship. However, a significant number of Yoruba, along with other African small-scale traders, artisans, and farmers, resided in Ghana based on the advantages of trans-border mobility and sociocultural and historical relations that dated back to the pre-colonial era.