These are five common assumptions about migration from Africa which, according to the data, are either false or must be considered in a more nuanced way.
“Every African Immigrant Desires to Travel to Europe”
It is true that more and more Africans are fleeing their homelands. The most recent UN study indicates that between 2010 and 2020, there was a 30 percent increase in the number of African migrants. But the majority – roughly 80 percent – remain on the African continent. To find employment, the great majority relocate to nearby nations or to areas like South Africa or West Africa that are seeing fast economic growth. In Europe, very few people try to find new residences.
“Africa is a Crisis Continent, Particularly Due to Migration.”
This assertion necessitates considering the wider picture. In 2020, there were 40.6 million African migrants overall, according to the UN. This represents 14.5 percent of the global total. Compared to the percentages from Europe (22.5 percent) and Asia (41 percent), this is much lower. This indicates that a greater proportion of migrants came from Asian or European nations than from African ones.
“The Majority of African Migrants are Escaping Poverty and Conflict.”
The majority of migrants travel to Europe for economic reasons, such as to work or study, or to be with family,
even though Europe accepts a large number of asylum-seekers from Africa. Just 8 percent of African migrants in the EU are refugees, according to the UN refugee agency. Additionally, roughly 90 percent of migrants enter Europe lawfully – by plane rather than on a smuggler’s boat.
“If we had to choose a picture of an African who is coming to the EU,” Novotny, a migration specialist, “it is more likely to be one of someone waiting at the airport gate with their passport and ticket in hand.”
“A Skilled Worker Migration will Result Brain Drain for Africa”
A labor and migration agreement was signed in September between Kenyan President William Ruto and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. About 250,000 skilled workers from Kenya, including engineers, doctors, and bus drivers, will be able to travel to Germany thanks to it. The goal of the deal is to lessen the strain that Germany is under as a result of its aging population and skilled labor shortage. The youthful, motivated Kenyan laborers will then be able to locate jobs that are hard to come by in their homeland.
However, how do African nations feel about the emigration of their skilled young adults? Does the continent suffer from this brain drain? There is a lot of nuance, according to research: Young people who emigrate may initially result in a shortage of skilled labor, but over time, their knowledge transfer and remittances help their home countries develop.
“Remittances from migrants is one of the most important sources of finance for African countries,” said Delapalme. The amount of money that migrants send home annually is equal to the sum of all official development assistance and direct foreign investment.
“Migrants bring resources to Africa which would otherwise have to come from additional, larger direct investments from third countries,” she stated.
“Europe will Soon be Overrun by Climate Refugees”
Fears of a mass migration to Europe as a result of climate change are stoked by headlines like “The great climate migration has begun” in The New York Times and “Migration will soon be the biggest climate challenge of our time” in The Financial Times. Despite the fact that the effects of global warming, such as droughts, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events, are real and dangerous, research indicates that instead of relocating far away, people in impacted areas usually choose to remain in their home countries and attempt to adapt.
The cost of migration is also high. Many impacted individuals in at-risk areas lack the resources it requires, particularly if they have lost everything in a climate disaster. “It is not scientifically proven that climate change really leads to international migration,” Novotny stated.
False Pictures, Actual Repercussions
Delapalme, who has spent decades traveling throughout Africa, explains that misconceptions have practical consequences, which a recent study by the pan-African nonprofit Africa No Filter also demonstrated. She underlined that policies regarding migration that are based on sentiment rather than reality could erode confidence between the two continents.
The Italian island in the central Mediterranean that has come to represent illegal migration, “Lampedusa,” should not be used as a catch-all term for migration from Africa, she said. She asserted that politics, public opinion, and facts must all be balanced.