‘Deportation and Diaspora Networks – The West African Experience’

Deportation policies disproportionately affect migrants from the Global South, often returning them to environments with limited resources for reintegration. In West Africa, however, returnees organize themselves through diaspora networks and grassroots initiatives to provide mutual support, challenge dominant narratives, and reshape post-return futures.
The compelling documentary “Omo Ghana – Man for Chop” examines forced deportation, economic hardship, and survival strategies of returnees in Ghana. 

We are pleased to invite you to the film screening of the documentary “Omo Ghana – Man for Chop”, followed by a discussion with the producer Faisal Garba.

The following discussion focuses on deportation experiences in Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal, examining the role of regional mobility frameworks such as ECOWAS, and highlighting solidarity practices—both local and transnational—that empower returnees.

Speakers

• Assoc. Prof. Faisal Garba – Sociologist, University of Cape Town & Film Producer

• Dr. Harald Bauder – Geographer and Migration Scholar, Project Director SoliCity, Toronto Metropolitan University

Moderator

Dr. Noa K. Ha – Scientific Managing Director, DeZIM Institute
An urban researcher with a focus on postcolonial theory, memory politics, and the spatial dimensions of racism and migration in urban societies.

About the Series

Public debates on migration typically revolve around its perceived impact on national territories—primarily in Europe and North America—emphasizing border security, integration, and labor markets. These discourses often neglect the global nature of migration, the transnational networks migrants build, and the local responses in communities of origin and transit. The event series “Local Communities, Global Networks” challenges Eurocentric framings of migration. It draws attention to global migration regimes, regional governance, and the resilience of migrant communities.
 

Initiated by SoliCity and the DeZIM-Institut, the series invites policymakers, researchers, grassroots organizations, and migrant-led networks to engage in critical dialogue. Through film, discussion, and interdisciplinary perspectives, the series foregrounds migrant agency and transnational solidarity in shaping just migration futures.