Volume 1 Issue 4 in a Series of Articles
By Femi Senu | @Femi_Senu | Saturday 10 February 2024 | 00:00 GMT
Do people really want to move to another country?
Recent findings indicate that 37% of Africans have considered moving abroad, which represents slightly less than half of those who have entertained the idea. However, the desire to undertake imminent migration is much lower, with only 7% of individuals from Zimbabwe and Lesotho expressing readiness to move, compared to an average of 3% across Africa, as reported by Afrobarometer.
Which countries do most people want to go to?
The report identifies that a significant portion of respondents, over half in some cases, have shown interest in migrating to specific countries. Notably, 57% of those considering migration have expressed a desire to move to Cape Verde and Sierra Leone, with 56% considering the Gambia, followed by 54% showing interest in Togo and São Tomé and Príncipe, located in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa. These figures highlight the preferred destinations for potential migrants but do not encompass all data, suggesting the need for further research.
This additional research, spanning from 2020 to the end of 2023, aims to provide deeper insights into migration trends. It is expected to address gaps in current data, such as the impact of conflicts and unrest on migration decisions. The absence of data from South Sudan, for example, due to its exclusion from the Afrobarometer survey, underscores these gaps. Despite this omission, over 2.2 million people have fled the country since the onset of civil unrest in 2013. Similarly, more than 2,500 refugees from Eritrea enter Ethiopia each month, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Despite its limitations, the Afrobarometer survey offers a crucial perspective on migration preferences and the various reasons behind the desire to move to another country.
The Unique Nature of Emigration Decisions
The decision to emigrate is a deeply personal one, influenced by an array of individual circumstances and life experiences. It transcends mere geographic relocation, often embodying a quest for new beginnings or an escape from untenable conditions.
Reluctant Departure from One’s Country
Leaving one’s homeland is rarely a trivial decision and often is not a matter of choice but of necessity. For those who have experienced this, the journey and its outcome can vary greatly. The real question becomes, for those who have undertaken this significant life change to escape and start anew, how has the reality measured up to the expectation?
Have your say!
In our next write-up, Volume 1 Issue 5 in A Series of Articles: Home sweet home., the Authur discussed some of the challenges of migration
Current Articles, in the series: “Home sweet home”
Volume 1 Issue 3 in a Series of Articles: “Home sweet home”: Understanding the Drive Behind African Emigration: https://nactpvs.wordpress.com/2024/02/04/home-sweet-home-understanding-the-drive-behind-african-emigration/
Volume 1 Issue 2 in a Series of Articles: A comparative analysis of Nigeria with other nations across Africa, Europe, and beyond: https://wordpress.com/post/nactpvs.wordpress.com/1119
Volume 1 Issue 1 in a Series of Articles: There is nothing like home: https://wordpress.com/post/nactpvs.wordpress.com/1087
“Home sweet home” In A Series of Articles: An Introduction: https://wordpress.com/post/nactpvs.wordpress.com/1048
Emigration News from around the world
Migration News: All around the world: https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/migration/
Death in the Channel – what led a 14-year-old boy to make fatal journey? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68084466
What is the UK’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-61782866
Channel Migrants: More than 1,300 people cross in January: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-68130596
International students entering the UK labour market: https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/commentaries/international-students-entering-the-uk-labour-market/
‘Japa’ ambitions face hurdle of higher costs: https://businessday.ng/news/article/japa-ambitions-face-hurdle-of-higher-costs/
Home Office set to evict hundreds of asylum seekers from Walthamstow hotel: https://walthamforestecho.co.uk/2024/01/23/home-office-set-to-evict-hundreds-of-asylum-seekers-from-walthamstow-hotel/
Migrant deaths, Sunday 14 January 2024, Do you think something must have gone wrong almost immediately? Click here to read more- https://wordpress.com/post/nactpvs.wordpress.com/1074
Other News: Criminality
10 African cities with the highest crime index at the start of 2024: https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/10-african-cities-with-the-highest-crime-index-at-the-start-of-2024/ywhq0yx
“KNOWLEDGE BREAKS BARRIERS…AFRICA CREATES BRIDGES”
To read our published academic articles, please follow these links:
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This month, on the New ODI Development Policy Review Virtual Issue on Corruption and Accountability in Development is Out- Which anti-corruption efforts are, then, likely to be effective? Trending now on corruption: https://nactpvs.wordpress.com/2024/02/07/which-anti-corruption-efforts-are-then-likely-to-be-effective-trending-now-on-corruption/
A critical assessment of anti‐corruption strategies for economic development in sub‐Saharan Africa: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dpr.12442 First published: 18 May 2019
African school of thought: The missing ideology in finding a solution to sub‐Saharan African insecurity: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dpr.12397 First published: 05 July 2018
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