The Impact of Migration on Africa’s Development

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Migration is a complex concept that has had negative connotations attached to it in the past decades, however international focus is now drifting away from its negative effects towards the realisation that it has potential to contribute to sustainable development of both the countries of origin and the migrants’ host countries (IMO). In the last decades, there has been rapid growth in external and regional migration in Africa. According to the World Bank’s bilateral migration matrix data in 2010, it was estimated that about 30.6 million African people (3% of the world’s population) were living in countries other than their country of birth. France being the popular destination, followed by Côte d’Ivoire (8%), South Africa (6%), Saudi Arabia (5%), and the United States (4%). Being collected in 2010, this data may actually not reflect the current migration flow as it has since grown. With this constant growth in population movement, does this migration enhance or hinder Africa’s development?
Prior to tackling the question above it is important to define what is meant by regional migration and external migration in this context. Regional migration refers to migration from one country to another within the African continent. International migration on the other hand is the movement of people from their countries in Africa, to countries outside the continent intending to extend their stay there (IOM). These types of migration can either enhance or hinder the development, depending on which view one takes. There are two opposing views which are: the “balanced growth approach” and “systematic view”. This essay will examine these approaches in order to come to a conclusion on whether migration does enhances or hinder Africa’s developmen...

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...ows them to be a key part in the community decision making and to be in control of their own income (Deshingkar and Grimm, 2005).
However for some women, migration can have dreadful effects. Anbesse (2009) conducted a study on Ethiopian women migrants in the Middle East using focus groups. The women who worked as domestic workers, described inhumane working conditions, physical and sexual maltreatment, and denial of basic freedoms. This led to mental illnesses such as depression. They all were aware of others who had suffered physical abuse, at times resulting in injury, permanent disability or even death.

In conclusion, there is no clear-cut answer as to whether migration totally enhances or whether it hinders development. This is because there exists both benefits and hindrances to development as outlined in the essay.

Works Cited

Deshingkar and Grimm, 2005

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