E.g., 04/23/2024
E.g., 04/23/2024
Africa (sub-Saharan)

Africa (sub-Saharan)

Beyond intraregional migration, sub-Saharan Africans migrate to North Africa, Europe, North America, and beyond. The research offered here focuses generally on two aspects of sub-Saharan migration: the outcomes for these migrants and their children once they have settled in their countries of destination, the United States among them, and the roles that diasporas and development policies can play in the economic improvement of these African nations.

A woman in Nigeria smiles while using her mobile phone
Reports

Leaving No One Behind: Inclusive Fintech for Remittances

Remittances are a vital lifeline for migrants’ families around the world and an important source of revenue for many low- and middle-income countries, especially in times of crisis. As more people turn to digital financial technologies for these money transfers, this shift holds the potential to shake up the rigid remittance industry and boost development benefits. But it also brings new challenges, as this report explores.

Motorcyclists and pedestrians travel a road between buildings in Arua, Uganda
Reports

Migration and Displacement in Secondary Cities: Insights from Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda

Small and mid-sized cities are some of the fastest growing in many parts of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa. Yet life in these cities can present a variety of challenges for migrants and displaced persons. This report examines these challenges in secondary cities in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda, and how local, national, and civil-society actors are working to address them.

Recent Activity

AfricanSwitzerland Thomas8047 Flickr
Articles
March 16, 2017
Straddling Two Worlds: Highly Skilled Migrants from Senegambia and Switzerland
By Haddy Sarr
DroughtEthiopia UNICEFEthiopia Flickr
Articles
February 3, 2017
With Millions Displaced by Climate Change or Extreme Weather, Is There a Role for Labor Migration Pathways?
By Michelle Leighton and Meredith Byrne
BurundianWoman FedericoScoppa UNHCR
Articles
December 14, 2016
For Every Step Forward on Refugee Protection, Two Steps Back amid Record Displacement
By Kathleen Newland
ThailandWorkers ILOAsiaPacific Flickr
Articles
December 5, 2016
While Mobility Comes under Assault in Europe, Other Regions Forge Ahead
By Brian Salant
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Books
October 2016
All at Sea: The Policy Challenges of Rescue, Interception, and Long-Term Response to Maritime Migration
By  Kathleen Newland, Elizabeth Collett, Kate Hooper and Sarah Flamm
Event PH 2016.9.28 Refugees in Dadaab Kathleen and Bill
Multimedia
September 28, 2016
An Uncertain Future for Somali Refugees in Dadaab
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Reports
September 2016
Protection on the Move: Eritrean Refugee Flows through the Greater Horn of Africa
By  Christopher Horwood and Kate Hooper
UAEConstruction JakeBrewer Flickr
Articles
May 18, 2016
Kenyan Migration to the Gulf Countries: Balancing Economic Interests and Worker Protection
By Froilan Malit, Jr. and Ali Al Youha

Pages

Feature
October 2, 2013
Mapping West Africa's Migration and Land-Management Crisis

Land is the basis of nearly all economic activities   from farming to financial speculation on cotton production — in and along the periphery of an internationally protected park that spans parts of Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Recognized as the "W" Transboundary Biosphere Reserve in 2002, this vast territory and surrounding areas are experiencing a land-management crisis in which seasonal and long-term migration has played a major role. This article examines these challenges through the use of reflexive maps, which capture data relating not only to migrants' paths and motivations, but also the social values and knowledge that they carry with them.

Profile
August 15, 2013
The Gambia: Migration in Africa's "Smiling Coast"

Economic turmoil has been a primary driver of emigration from The Gambia, located in West Africa and the smallest country on the African continent. Despite having a decades-old, extensive diaspora mainly in Spain, the United States, Nigeria, Senegal, and the United Kingdom, the Gambian government has only very recently begun to reach out to its citizens abroad. This article explores The Gambia's migration history, emigration and immigration trends, remittances, economic impacts of skilled emigration, and recent efforts by the government to reach out to The Gambian diaspora.

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Feature
July 18, 2013
A Portrait of Chinese Traders in Dakar, Senegal
Although many observers point out that China's dealings in Africa are driven by natural resources, since the mid-2000s Beijing has also shown interest in Senegal, which does not sit on major deposits of oil, gold, diamonds, or timber. This West African nation — a strategic ally for China, a reliable partner in the area of development cooperation, and above all, a promising market for selling made-in-China goods — has a rapidly growing Chinese migrant community. This article explores the growing presence of Chinese traders in Dakar's Centenaire neighborhood, investigating their backgrounds and motives for migrating. It also discusses how the decision to migrate affects their families, hometowns, and the local community in Dakar.
Feature
May 30, 2013
Tuareg Migration: A Critical Component of Crisis in the Sahel

The Tuareg, a nomadic group of Berber origin located in several countries across North and West Africa, have been enmeshed in a complicated struggle against the Malian state since January 2012. This article explores the unique role that migration plays in shaping Tuareg grievances in the context of this crisis.

Top Ten
December 1, 2012
Forced Migration: No Resolution in Sight for Syrians, Violent Outbreaks Displace Thousands across African Continent

More than 465,800 Syrians were registered as refugees during 2012 or were awaiting assistance, and another 2 million Syrians were internally displaced as a result of the prolonged armed conflict. On the African continent, difficult humanitarian situations also were unfolding.

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Recent Activity

Reports
October 2021

Migración africana a través del continente americano: impulsores, rutas y respuestas normativas

La cantidad de migrantes africanos que viajan por América del Sur y Central con la esperanza de llegar a la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México para buscar asilo es pequeña, pero está aumentando. Este informe examina los factores que impulsan la migración africana a través de las Américas, las rutas y los desafíos comunes, y las respuestas de países de tránsito en América Latina.

Reports
October 2021

African Migration through the Americas: Drivers, Routes, and Policy Responses

The number of African migrants traveling through South and Central America in hopes of reaching the U.S.-Mexico border, many seeking asylum, is small but increasing. This report examines the factors driving African migration through the Americas, common routes and challenges, and how transit countries are responding.

Articles
October 5, 2021

Once Primarily an Origin for Refugees, Ethiopia Experiences Evolving Migration Patterns

In 1980, more than 2.5 million Ethiopian refugees lived in other countries. Now, Ethiopians are more likely to migrate for labor reasons, particularly to the Middle East and southern Africa, and meanwhile the country has become a refuge for humanitarian migrants from its neighbors. This article traces the history of migration from, to, and through Ethiopia.

Video, Audio, Webinars
August 26, 2021

Labor Migration Governance in West Africa in the Wake of the Pandemic

On this webinar speakers discuss a recent policy brief Deepening Labor Migration Governance at a Time of Immobility: Lessons from Ghana and Senegal. Experts and government officials from the region and Europe explore the importance of labor migration for West Africa, related policy efforts by the Ghanaian and Senegalese governments, and how development agencies can best support African countries in resuming mobility and enhancing the development benefits of labor migration.

Policy Briefs
July 2021

Deepening Labor Migration Governance at a Time of Immobility: Lessons from Ghana and Senegal

The pandemic has dramatically curtailed labor migration opportunities in West Africa, as it has around the world. What does this mean for countries such as Ghana and Senegal that have been working to improve their governance of international labor migration? This brief explores the evolution of these countries’ migration policies, efforts to facilitate labor migration, and strategies to engage their diasporas.

Reports
July 2021

Future Scenarios for Global Mobility in the Shadow of Pandemic

More than 18 months since the first COVID-19-related travel restrictions were introduced, the pandemic’s effects on global mobility are still unfolding. With vaccination campaigns picking up speed in some places while only beginning in others, and new variants of the virus emerging, the timeline for restarting international migration and travel remains uncertain. This report explores how different policy choices could result in very different mobility realities.

Articles
July 21, 2021

As Migration and Trade Increase between China and Africa, Traders at Both Ends Often Face Precarity

Trade between China and Africa has ballooned, reaching nearly $200 billion in 2019. Yet many of the migrant entrepreneurs and traders who contribute to this relationship live in precarious positions in both China and Africa. This article explores the informal systems navigated by many migrants in both regions and the policies that drive the precarity in which many of these traders live.

Video, Webinars
June 3, 2021

How Can Mobility Systems in sub-Saharan Africa Meet the Public Health Challenges Posed by COVID-19?

This conversation marks the release of an MPI policy brief and reflects on how mobility systems in sub-Saharan Africa have adapted to meet the public health challenges posed by COVID-19, and what lessons can be learned.

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