Who we are?

Ghana Union in The Netherlands is a non-profit organization registered in February 2021 both in the city of The Hague and in Amsterdam. Its main purpose is to foster unity and strength among its members that will enhance their international understanding, democratic awareness, intercultural exchange and integration with the Dutch society and other migrant groups in all spheres of life .

Brief background history

Ghanaians in The Netherlands currently numbering about 26,964 (Source: CBS, 31st December 2022). CBS, 2024.png

began to arrive here in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In those days, most of them were students. A second wave of Ghanaians began arriving during the1980s as a result of the turmoil in Ghana and Nigeria respectively. The sudden increase in Ghanaian residents led to the formation of organizations, associations and clubs.

Research conducted on the Ghanaian Community at the early times shows that they were organized along the lines of religious and welfare organizations that translated into numerous churches, social clubs, unions, associations and foundations. Despite the strength of the Community at that time, their sphere of influence or impact hardly went beyond their ethnic parameters or municipal bases and their main aim bordered on self-help, information dissemination and general services. All of these bodies ascribed to aims and objectives that seek largely to serve the interest of their members or contribute towards the development of the areas they come from in Ghana.

Ghanaians, like other migrant groups are concentrated in the four major cities namely Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. Amsterdam has undisputedly and consistently played a lead role as host city for Ghanaians with more than half the official number of Ghanaians in The Netherlands living in Amsterdam. A third of this (ie number in Amsterdam) lives in Amsterdam Southeast and its suburbs which remains the hub or where the action has always been for Ghanaians. Significantly too, the Ghanaian block forms the third largest minority group in the Amsterdam Southeast district after Surinamese and Antilleans.