Social issues will shape intra-African migration

Subject

Internal migration within Africa.

Significance

Western media coverage of the European migration ‘crisis’ often obscures the reality that more Africans migrate within their own continent than make illegal, treacherous journeys across the Mediterranean. More than half of African migrants remain within Africa, following much older and more entrenched migration pathways crisscrossing the continent. However, they too face pressures in both their journeys and their destinations.

Impacts

• Cross-border seasonal or temporary migration will remain central to the livelihoods of many border communities.
• For many people, the choice of migrating within or outside Africa will fall along a continuum of choices based on changing conditions.
• Narrowing opportunities along intra-African routes may encourage some migrants to seek alternatives in the Americas, Middle East or Asia.