African emigration
Texte légal :
In recent years a combination of factors, including the bad economic situation of most African countries, permanent conflicts, and environmental degradation, have provoked a new movement of Africans going out of the continent. The difficult socioeconomic environment (created by the diminution of public sector workers in states across the continent using programs of structural adjustment, the decline in real incomes, and the hostile political environment) has brought many skilled workers to leave the continent. This migration has been to Europe, North America (United States and Canada), and the Gulf states. This phenomenon has come to be known as the brain drain. Thousands of highly skilled migrants, including doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, scientists, technologists, and other professionals, have moved from a number of African countries to the destination states attracted by relatively higher salaries and better working and living conditions. This is in addition to movements from poorer to relatively richer regions of the continent. Also, many pupils in various disciplines did not return to their home countries from these richer countries at the end of their studies.
Clandestine migration, an old phenomenon, has reached new proportions as young migrants are adopting more sophisticated and courageous methods to enter the countries of the North ─ even if these destination states continue to increase their border controls. Many clandestine migrants enter the host states as tourists or pupils and later work and live there without officially changing their status. Others travel via intermediary countries, where they obtain false documentation for some money. Another phenomenon is autonomous female migration, which is also a response to poverty in the sub-region. With several families forced to adopt migration as a solution, the migration is becoming increasingly feminized. A significant proportion of females now migrate independently. Higher education level among females has also increased their mobility and their desire to migrate both locally and internationally.
Adapted from Free Encyclopedias
