Amid rapid population growth, migration in sub-Saharan Africa has been increasing briskly over the last 20 years. Up to the 1990s, the stock of migrants—citizens of one country living in another country—was dominated by intraregional migration, but over the last 15 years, migration outside the region has picked up sharply. In the coming decades, sub-Saharan African migration will be shaped by an ongoing demographic transition involving an enlargement of the working-age population, and migration outside the region, in particular to advanced economies, is set to continue expanding. This note explores the main drivers of sub-Saharan African migration, focusing on migration outside the region, as this has greater global spillovers. It finds that the economic impact of migration for the region occurs mainly through two channels. First, the migration of young and educated workers—brain drain—takes a toll as human capital is already scarce in the region, although some recent studies suggest that migration may have also a positive effect—brain gain. Second, remittances represent an important source of foreign exchange and income in a number of sub-Saharan African countries, contribute to the alleviation of poverty, and help smooth business cycles.

Examining how changing conditions in the Mediterranean Region have affected the decisions of those considering migrating from Sub-Saharan Africa to or through the Region, this book represents an important and overdue contribution to international policy-making and academic discourse. In current discussions relating to this migration phenomenon, the complexity of individual decision-making is often left unacknowledged, so that subsequent policy responses draw upon simplified models. In this volume, individual decision-making takes central stage by bringing together chapters that demonstrate very different types of decision-making frameworks. In this project, it is highlighted that people move for a variety of reasons such as being affected by conflict and insecurity, by economic pressures, and by desire for other forms of enrichment. Throughout, the book’s contributors find that events in the Mediterranean cannot be considered alone in understanding migration decision-making from Sub-Saharan Africa, but as part of an increasingly complicated global system not encompassed by one simplified theory or by looking at one regional context in isolation. Knowing why individual people are moving and how they decide upon which routes to take can help to ensure policy that promotes safer travel options, or makes genuine alternatives to migration available.

Maritime migration : a wicked problem / Kathleen Newland -- Case study : unauthorized maritime migration in Europe and the Mediterranean region / Elizabeth Collett -- Case study : unauthorized maritime migration in the Bay of Bengal / Kathleen Newland -- Case study : unauthorized maritime migration in the Gulf of aden and the Red Sea / Kate Hooper -- Case study : the maritime approaches to Australia / Kathleen Newland -- Case study : maritime migration in the United States and the Caribbean / Kathleen Newland and Sarah Flamm

This book focuses on achieving a better understanding of the implications of international migration for national development from the perspective of the sending countries (with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa). More specifically, the purpose of this volume is to explore (1) current perceptions - as seen from the perspective of the countries of origin - of the links between international migration and national development, and (2) current trends in policy making aimed at minimising the negative effects, while optimising the development impact. What are the dominant views and policy initiatives in the different countries of sub-Saharan Africa? It is concerned with the question of how a coherent international migration policy can contribute to the fight against poverty. In the book, update information is given of migration-development nexus in various countries, including Senegal and Burkina Faso, Botswana and Mozambique, Nigeria and Kenya . Attention is additionally paid to Mexico, the Philippines and the People's Republic of China.

This book discusses migration and space-spanning social network relationships as normal realities of life in African societies. It offers an overview of the research landscape and introduces an agency-centered theoretical model that provides a conceptual framework for translocality. The authors Malte Steinbrink and Hannah Niedenführ plead for a translocal approach to social transformation, showing how the translocality of livelihoods is shaping the lives of half a billion people on the continent and impacting local conditions. Using an action-oriented approach, the book analyzes the effects of translocal livelihoods on diverse aspects of economic, environmental and social change in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. The study thus makes an innovative contribution not only to migration research and development studies but also to the discussion around the policy and practice of development cooperation and planning. It is time to rethink development in light of translocal realities. The book appeals to scholars and researchers in geography, sociology, policy-making and planning, development studies, migration research and rural development.

Africans arriving by rickety fishing boats to the Canary Islands is an example of the dark side of migration in human trafficking, but the picture of a continent on the move also includes highly skilled professionals from Nigeria and Ghana who seek employment in universities and other professions in South Africa. On the positive side, migrant remittances are a major source of income in many sub-Saharan African countries, helping to sustain the lives of poor home communities. A major challenge now facing sub-Saharan Africa is how to attract

EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. This book is concerned with the effects of migration policy-making in Europe on migrants in the Global South and challenges current migration politics to consider alternative ways of looking at the modern migratory phenomenon. Based on in-depth ethnographic research in Morocco with migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, the author considers current migration dynamics from the perspectives of migrants themselves to examine the long-term social effects of immobility experienced by migrants whom get stuck in ‘transit’ countries. This book is an invaluable learning resource for those wishing to understand the social and political processes that migration policies lead to, particularly in countries in the Global South.