Migration programme of the Economic Commission for Africa

Abstract

African migration patterns are not well understood, and specific stereotypes have developed, given that the media, devoid of robust scientific evidence, have dominated the discourse. There is an imperative for Africa to develop its own narratives on migration, informed by its population, socioeconomic and political dynamics and the dominance of intra -African migration flows. Research on African migration has been based on prevailing migration theories, reflecting push and pull factors that have affected the conventional flows of people from poorer to richer countries. Research has focused mainly on the migrant as an individual, without taking into consideration the families, households, communities and nations that affect and determine migration patterns and dynamics. This research has also focused on the movement of men during their economically productive age, without considering that women and children have always been migrants. Indeed, the causes of migration in their multiplicity and complexity need to be examined.