Ghana Emigration and Immigration

Passenger lists, immigration and emigration records
Research use: Passenger lists can be used to identify individuals and families who did not remain in Ghana long enough to have their names entered into the church records, civil records, or census records.

Record type: Lists of those arriving in Ghana and/or departing for other destinations within the British Empire or to Europe and to North and South America. Also, lists of slaves (ships’ manifests showing slave cargoes) and their destinations.

Time period: 1750 to present.

Contents: Names of passengers, often names of family members and family relationships, place of origin or embarkation, destination; ships’ manifests of slave cargoes.

Location: National Archives in Accra; a number are located in Portugal, the Netherlands, and Denmark, as well as the National Archives in London, England.

Population coverage: Approximately 35% of Europeans arriving and departing Ghana; Between 15 to 25% of the natives (especially slaves.) Note, however, that the early ship’s manifests for slaves generally include only the number of slaves shipped from one place to another.

Reliability: Good.