Resilience among Ghanaian migrants in Lisbon in accessing family reunification and learning of Portuguese language

Abstract

This study explores the resilience of Ghanaian migrants in their migration trajectories, their transnational parenting experiences, language learning practices and plans of reunification in Lisbon, Portugal. The resilience theory informed the theoretical and analytical base for the study. A non-probability (snowball technique) sampling was used for selecting migrants who had had intentions of reuniting with their families in Portugal. A qualitative orientation research approach was employed to investigate the phenomenon among seven respondents using in-depth interviews. Textual analysis of policy documents, participant observations (both on sites and online) were used as sources of data as well. The study identified the delay in their regularization processes and lack of financial resources to fulfill requirements as the main challenges Ghanaian migrants in Lisbon faced in the process of accessing family reunification in Portugal. Despite the challenges, Portugal’s migration policies were perceived by migrants as friendly and benevolent to advance their future aspirations. Furthermore, transnational parenting practices including constant communication and sending of remittances played important roles in migrants’ efforts in maintaining family ties across borders. Importantly, individual skills and support from migrant networks served as the participants' main resilience strategies during their migration trajectories and while they anticipated family reunification. Lastly, resilience in learning Portuguese language was demonstrated through migrant’s self-determination to overcome language and communication barriers by adopting people-to-people strategies, technology-based language learning applications and accessing state provided language programs. In conclusion, due to the perceived permissive measures in Portugal’s migration policies, Ghanaian migrants in Portugal are likely to opt for long term settling in the country. In this way, the gradually increasing numbers of Ghanaian migrants will contribute to the overall linguistic and cultural diversity in Portugal as they bring along their cultural baggage such as ways of engaging in transnational parenting, family models and practices and their language learning strategies.