This article addresses recent emigration from Africa. See African diaspora for a general treatment of historic population movements. See recent African origin of modern humans for pre-historic human migration.
Map showing location of Africa.

During the period of 1965 - 2021, an estimated 440,000 people per year emigrated from Africa; a total number of 17 million migrants within Africa was estimated for 2005.[1] The figure of 0.44 million African emigrants per year (corresponding to about 0.05% of the continent's total population) pales in comparison to the annual population growth of about 2.6%, indicating that only about 2% of Africa's population growth is compensated for by emigration.[2]

Countries of Origin

North African

During the 2000s, North Africa had been receiving large numbers of Sub-Saharan African migrants "in transit", predominantly from West Africa, who plan to enter Europe.

An annual 22,000 illegal migrants took the route from either Tunisia or Libya to Lampedusa in the 2000–2005 period. This figure has decreased in 2006, but it has increased greatly as a result of the 2011 Tunisian revolution and the 2011 Libyan civil war.

Sub-Saharan

In 2005, 10,000 West African migrants heading for Europe were stranded in the Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou, and 20,000 sub-Saharan African migrants were waiting for an opportunity to cross to Europe in the Spanish enclaves in North Africa.[2]

For Sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank report estimated a stock of 21.8 million (2.5% of population) emigrants vs. 17.7 million (2.1% of total population) immigrants. 63.0% of migration was estimated as taking place intra-regionally, while 24.8% of migration was to high-income OECD countries. The top ten migration corridors were 1. Burkina Faso–Côte d'Ivoire, 2. Zimbabwe–South Africa, 3. Côte d'Ivoire–Burkina Faso, 4. Uganda–Kenya, 5. Eritrea–Sudan, 6. Mozambique–South Africa, 7. Mali–Côte d'Ivoire, 8. Democratic Republic of Congo–Rwanda, 9. Lesotho–South Africa, 10. Eritrea–Ethiopia.

Year Sub-Saharan African lawful permanent residents
and Sub-Saharan African refugee arrivals to the United States[3]
201052 000
201148 000
201254 000
201356 000
201458 000
201560 000
201678 000
Sub-Saharan refugee arrivals
By country United States[3]
Nigeria280 000
Ethiopia220 000
Ghana160 000
Kenya120 000
South Africa100 000
Somalia90 000
Liberia80 000
Zimbabwe50 000
Tanzania50 000
Cameroon50 000
Percentage that would live in another country if had the means and opportunity to go[3]
Ghana75 % of the pop.
Nigeria74 % of the pop.
Kenya54 % of the pop.
South Africa51 % of the pop.
Senegal46 % of the pop.
Tanzania43 % of the pop.


The World Bank Migration and Remittances Factbook of 2011 gives separate regional summaries for Sub-Saharan Africa on one hand and the Middle East and North Africa on the other. For both regions, there is a surplus of emigrants, even though a substantial part of migration takes place within each region.[4]

For the Middle East and North Africa, there was an estimated stock of 18.1 million (5.3% of population) emigrants vs. 12.0 million (3.5% of population) immigrants. 31.5% of migration took place intra-regional, 40.2% was to high-income OECD countries. The main migration corridors for North Africa were identified as Egypt–Saudi Arabia, Algeria–France Egypt–Jordan, Morocco–France, Morocco–Spain, Morocco–Italy, and Egypt–Libya. The portion of refugees was estimated at 65.3% of migrants.

Destinations

Europe

There is significant migration from Africa to Europe.

As of 2007, there were an estimated seven million African migrants living in OECD countries. Of these, about half are of North African origin, mostly residing in France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, while the other half are of Sub-Saharan African origin, present throughout Western Europe, with significant concentrations in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. The rate of migration is projected to increase in the coming decades, according to Sir Paul Collier, a development economist.[5]

The European Union Frontex agency's "Operation Hermes" is also monitoring the Mediterranean between North Africa and Italy. Due to increased border controls along the Mediterranean, there has been a shift of preferred migration routes towards Greece.

Approximate populations of African origin in Europe:

  • Arabs and Berbers (including North African and Middle Eastern Arabs): approx. 5 million, mostly in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Greece and Russia. (see Arabs in Europe)
  • Sub-Equatorial Africans: approx. 5 million; mostly in Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal.[6]
  • Horn Africans: approx. 1 million, mostly Somalis and Eritreans, mostly in United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Finland
  • Ethnic Europeans with colonial roots: approx. 8 million; mostly in France, United Kingdom, Greece, Romania and Belgium.
  • North African Jews: approx. 500 thousands; mostly in France.
Sub Saharan African refugee arrivals in:
European Union, Norway, and Switzerland[3]
Nigeria390 000
South Africa310 000
Somalia300 000
Senegal270 000
Ghana250 000
Angola220 000
Kenya180 000
D. C. Congo150 000
Cameroon150 000
Ivory Coast140 000
Sub-Saharan African
asylum applicants to Europe[3]
201058 000
201184 000
201274 000
201391 000
2014139 000
2015164 000
2016196 000
2017168 000

Asia

Many young African students choose China as a destination, as the presence of Chinese industries and businesses in Africa has increased considerably in recent years.[7]

North America

African immigration to the United States has been comparatively slight, totaling around 3,183,104 individuals as of 2010.[8]

Central and South America

There is also a record of people from Africa plus Central and South American countries such as Brazil, Panama and Mexico who self-reported their country of origin.[8]

Oceania

In Australia, the number of immigrants from Africa has grown substantially since the 1990s, with most concentrated in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The largest of these African Australian populations is the South African community, and the Census in 2011 recorded 145,683 South Africa-born people in Australia. News anchor Anton Enus, the author J. M. Coetzee, and the singer Selwyn Pretorius are examples of local celebrities from this community. Also substantial is the 40,000-strong Egyptian Australian community, mostly concentrated in Sydney,[9] the 30,000-strong Zimbabwean Australian community,[10] and the 28,000-strong Mauritian Australian community.[11]

Reasons for emigrating

  • Coloniality and underdevelopment
  • Epistemic imbalance
  • Conflict
  • Depressed economies

Effects of emigration on Africa

"Brain drain"

Especially physicians

Talent drain

Especially sports talent.

Economic

  • Loss of educational investment due to brain drain
  • Loss of labor force
  • Dependence

But

  • Remittances
  • Trade

Risks and dangers of emigration

Difficulties faced by emigrants on the journey

Difficulties faced by emigrants at destination countries

See also

References

  1. ↑ World migration 2008: Managing labour mobility in the evolving global economy Volume 4 of IOM world migration report series, International Organization for Migration, Hammersmith Press, 2008 ISBN 978-92-9068-405-3, pp. 38, 407 .
  2. 1 2 2006 OECD data, cited in World migration 2008, Hammersmith Press, 2008, ISBN 978-92-9068-405-3, pp. 409–10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Philip Connor (March 18, 2018), "At Least a Million Sub-Saharan Africans Moved to Europe Since 2010. Sub-Saharan migration to the United States also growing", Pew Research Center
  4. ↑ "MIGRATION AND REMITTANCES FACTBOOK" (PDF). Siteresources.worldbank.org (SECOND ed.). 2011. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  5. ↑ "Migration is helping Africa in many ways". The Economist. 2020-03-26. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  6. ↑ "France's blacks stand up to be counted". Theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  7. ↑ Brown, Ryan (September 10, 2012). "African Students See China as a Path to a Prosperous Future". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  8. 1 2 "Total ancestry categories tallied for people with one or more ancestry categories reported 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection" (PDF). Immi.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection" (PDF). Immi.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection" (PDF). Immi.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2017.

Bibliography

  • Arno Tanner, Emigration, Brain Drain and Development: the case of Sub-Saharan Africa, 2009, ISBN 978-952-99592-1-1.
  • Belachew Gebrewold-Tochalo (ed.), Africa and Fortress Europe: threats and opportunities, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2007, ISBN 978-0-7546-7204-3.
  • Hein de Haas, Irregular Migration from West Africa to the Maghreb and the European Union: An Overview of Recent Trends, International Organization for Migration, Geneva, 2008.
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