The Hidden Emotional Cost of Migration

“Migration can change where you live, but it does not easily erase where your heart first learned to belong.”

About forty years ago, John left Agona Swedru in Ghana to begin a new life in Germany. He carried luggage, but he also carried things no one could see: hope, family expectations, memories, and the uncertainty of starting again in a foreign country.

Back home, many people viewed Europe as a place of opportunity. John soon discovered that opportunity could also demand great sacrifice.

The Struggles Behind “Everything Is Fine”

The language was unfamiliar. The weather was different. Adjusting to the culture took time. There were new responsibilities, complicated systems to navigate, and moments when home felt painfully far away.

When relatives called from Ghana, they often asked, “How are things abroad?”

John learned to respond, “Everything is fine.”

But everything was not always fine.

This is one of migration’s untold stories. People see the photographs, visits home, gifts, and achievements. They rarely see the loneliness, homesickness, cultural adjustment, pressure to succeed, or fear of disappointing those who celebrated their departure.

Belonging to Two Places

Psychologically, migration can create two identities. One part of a person learns to belong where they now live, while another remains connected to where they came from.

Forty years later, John may have built a life in Germany, but his memories of Agona Swedru still carry deep meaning. He remembers the streets, the food, the language, and the people who knew him before Europe changed his story.

This is why migration should never be reduced to money. People who leave home often pay emotional prices that cannot be seen in the remittances they send back.

Those who remain behind should also remember that living abroad does not remove struggle. Sometimes, it simply changes the nature of the struggle.

Preserving the Stories of Those Who Left

John’s journey invites us to ask important questions. What did our parents and grandparents sacrifice when they left home? What loneliness did they never discuss? What strength did migration require from them?

This week, speak with someone who migrated decades ago. Do not ask only about what they achieved. Ask what the journey cost them emotionally, and take time to listen.

Before an entire generation of migration stories disappears, we must preserve not only where our people went, but also what leaving home did to their hearts.

Return for the next untold story as we continue exploring migration, identity, family, and mental wellbeing across the African diaspora.

By Dr. David Rex Orgen, Best-Selling Author and International Mental Health Expert