Establishing the link between internal and international migration: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Internal and international migration are often thought of as separate processes, rarely analysed together in a coherent framework. This paper examines, based on data for 21 Sub-Saharan African countries, how previous internal migration can shape international migration intentions – i.e. desiring and planning to move abroad. We find that individuals who migrated to urban areas are on average the most likely to develop international migration intentions, followed by those who migrated to rural areas, those who live in urban areas and have not moved internally, and lastly come rural residents who have not moved internally. This highlights the role of migration to urban areas as a potential driver of international emigration. The findings support our conceptual framework, which hypothesizes internal migrants have lower international migration costs, both monetary and non-monetary, and accumulate resources and experience that help overcome constraints related to international migration. Internal migration is also found to have a stronger association with desire to migrate abroad than with planning, indicating that weakening the attachment to place of origin may be the dominant mechanism linking internal and international migration processes.