African migration to Chad: diversity of ethnic groups as one of the motives for the choice of migrants

Abstract

The mobility of the population of the African continent is not a new phenomenon. Intra-African migration has a close relationship with mobility, as every migrant dreams of better social, economic, and political conditions. In this article, the author touches on the topic of the diversity of ethnic groups and languages as one of the motives for migrants to choose the Republic of Chad. Chad is a link between the Maghreb and Black Africa, and a crossroads of trans-Saharan caravans and a cradle of nomadic civilizations. Today, emigration and immigration movements between Chad, Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria constitute a basis of migratory dynamics. Chad is the first country to admit asylum seekers in Africa with a high number of refugees and asylum seekers which represents more than 3% of the Chadian population. The Republic of Chad was also an important stop on the pilgrimage route. There were many Muslims of African descent who made their way to the pilgrimage through Chad. Historical movements between the Republic of Chad and its neighboring countries provide an understanding of today's movements. These movements constitute the basis of the migratory dynamic of the Republic of Chad. The fact that we find shared communities on both sides of the border allows us to say that these particularly important cross-border exchanges are worth studying. Also, Chad alone has around 474,000 refugees and asylum seekers. Even if over the past two years the measures taken to fight the spread of the coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have slowed down the migration movement, the Republic of Chad now ranks among the top 10 countries of asylum in the world.