African Migrants Research Articles

Translocation and migrants’ live-in experiences: A literary discourse on select novels

With the huge surge of African migrants in the West, especially in the post Covid-19 era, it becomes important to investigate these migrants’ experiences as portrayed in literary texts by writers. Hence, this research examines the representation of migrant challenges in African literature through a critical discourse on two contemporary novels: Abdulrazak Gurnah's Gravel Heart and Helon Habila's Travelers. Adopting Homi Bhabha’s theory, hybridity, the study focuses on how these literary works depict the struggles of African Migrants as they navigate and interpret both cultures– West/African while in the diaspora in order to survive. The discourse highlights the issues of displacement, dislocation, alignment, cultural identity, and the struggle for survival in a foreign land. By exploring the similarities and differences between the two novels, the paper reveals the complexity and diversity of African migrant experiences as it provides insights into the broader issues of globalization, colonialism, and migration. Ultimately, the research argues that African literature plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the migrant experiences and in promoting social justice and human rights.

Male genitourinary schistosomiasis-related symptoms among long-term Western African migrants in Spain: a prospective population-based screening study

BackgroundSchistosomiasis is highly endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and frequently imported to Europe. Male urogenital manifestations are often neglected. We aimed to ascertain the prevalence of genitourinary clinical signs and symptoms among long-term African migrants in a non-endemic European country using a serology test.MethodsWe carried out a prospective, community-based cross-sectional study of adult male migrants from sub-Saharan Africa living in Spain. Schistosoma serology tests and microscopic urine examinations were carried out, and clinical data were obtained from an electronic medical record search and a structured questionnaire.ResultsWe included 388 adult males, mean age 43.5 years [Standard Deviation (SD) = 12.0, range: 18–76]. The median time since migration to the European Union was 17 [Interquartile range (IQR): 11–21] years. The most frequent country of origin was Senegal (N = 179, 46.1%). Of the 338, 147 (37.6%) tested positive for Schistosoma. Parasite eggs were present in the urine of only 1.3%. Nine genitourinary clinical items were significantly associated with positive Schistosoma serology results: pelvic pain (45.2%; OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.0–2.4), pain on ejaculation (14.5%; OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.0–3.5), dyspareunia (12.4%; OR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.2–5.2), erectile dysfunction (9.5%; OR = 3.10, 95% CI: 1.3–7.6), self-reported episodes of infertility (32.1%; OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.0–2.8), haematuria (55.2%; OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.5–3.6), dysuria (52.1%; OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.3–3.1), undiagnosed syndromic STIs (5.4%), and orchitis (20.7%; OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.0–3.1). Clinical signs tended to cluster.ConclusionsUrogenital clinical signs and symptoms are prevalent among male African long-term migrants with a positive Schistosoma serology results. Genital involvement can be frequent even among those with long periods of non-residence in their sub-Saharan African countries of origin. Further research is needed to develop diagnostic tools and validate therapeutic approaches to chronic schistosomiasis.Graphical

Female genitourinary schistosomiasis-related symptoms in long-term sub-Saharan African migrants in Europe: a prospective population-based study.

The involvement of genital women tract of chronic schistosomiasis among African migrant women in non-endemic countries might be more prevalent than expected. A gold standard diagnostic is most needed to determine the true prevalence of this condition and characterize the clinical presentation of female genital schistosomiasis among this particular population.

Middle-class youth fleeing Nigeria: rethinking African survival migration through the Japa phenomenon

ABSTRACT Migration for survival is commonly associated with refugees and asylum seekers who flee persecution, wars, and natural calamities. Yet, in Nigeria, university-educated, gainfully employed middle-class youth insist that leaving is a matter of survival and not a choice. This distinction is signalled by japa, a recently popularised term for ‘to run’ or ‘to flee’. Young Nigerians view migration as an escape from intolerable domestic conditions – prolonged university strikes, overturned development progress, and unprecedented currency inflation. In practice, japa follows formal procedures but favours quick departures. But by framing migration as fleeing, youth emphasise their refusal to cope. Foremost, they emphasise urgent respite over rationalised projects of social reproduction or status maintenance. Scholars, however, tend to overlook emotional or existential motives for voluntary migration and essentialise survival drives to forced migration. Drawing on 21 interviews with Nigerian youths, this paper shows a need to rethink survival migration, particularly how we value destinations compared to departures, conflate urgent desires with immediate exits, and privilege social functions over individual sentiments. By analysing youth’s interpretations of what survival means, we enrich our understanding of African migration beyond the binary of elite strategies for social reproduction or fateful journeys of forced migration.

Can European foreign aid motivate people to stay in Africa? The root causes policy debate and irregular migration

AbstractMotivationIn European policy debate, conflict, economic crisis, lack of development, population growth, and climate change are often seen as the root causes of migration from Africa. To deter irregular migration to Europe, aid has thus been directed towards these perceived causes. This seems, however, not to deter irregular migration.PurposeWe explore the discrepancy between the official discourse of root causes and insights from research on migration decisions; and how discourse and evidence relate to aid. We ask what kind of policy change is needed if aid is possibly used to influence irregular migration. We focus on the motivations and drivers of migration and how development co‐operation may influence these.Methods and approachConsidering African migration to Europe, we examine the official European discourse on root causes of irregular migration, highlight recent developments in the academic understanding of migration aspirations and drivers, and investigate various attempts to analyse the impact of foreign aid on assumed “root causes” and migration.FindingsMigration is influenced by drivers that differ according to the specific context in which potential migrants decide to migrate or not. Aid to influence migration must be thoroughly adapted to the circumstances of potential migrants. Addressing so‐called root causes may be irrelevant to many potential migrants and will require long‐term change to have any impact. It may even increase migration in the short term. Foreign aid that adopts a blueprint regardless of context is unlikely to deter irregular migration in the short or medium term.Policy implicationsIf irregular African migration to Europe is to be deterred through development co‐operation, European policy‐makers and development practitioners need to elaborate and differentiate between aid‐supported activities through careful understanding of the migration dynamics specific to individual localities and societies.

Institutionalised Xenophobia: African Migrants’ Experiences and Perceptions of Service Delivery at a Selected South African Department of Home Affairs

This study delved into a conceptual analysis of African migrants’ experiences and perceptions of service delivery at a purposely selected Department of Home Affairs and Immigration Services in South Africa. A mixed-methods design comprising a cross-sectional survey and focus group discussions was conducted with black African migrants awaiting service delivery at the Durban Department of Home Affairs. The findings were discussed within the context of the relative deprivation theory. The study unfolds South Africans’ negative perceptions of African immigrants as vectors of insecurity, criminality and economic hardship for the citizenry, as well as a systemic anathema to South Africa’s state sovereignty. It holistically ascribes the phenomenon to an attendant consequence of unlawful racial discrimination emanating from institutionalised xenophobia, a recently emerged concept that this current study has referred to as Afrophobia.

Statistical forecasting of U.S. and Central African Republic net migration

Immigration is a very important link in the current international society. This paper will study and predict the net immigration of the United States and the Central African Republic through two different models- drift model and ARIMA model, and to further explore the trends and influencing factors of migration between these countries. The results show that from 1960 to 2021, net migration from the United States and the Central African Republic showed very different trends. The United States, as a developed country, attracts a large number of immigrants from all over the world, while the Central African Republic, as a developing country, the flow of immigrants is mainly affected by economic, political and social factors in the region. Therefore, it can be seen that developing countries and developed countries have different impacts on the number of immigrants. This study provides a basis for further understanding of population migration and net migration of United States and Central African Republic.

A European narrative of border externalisation: the European trust fund for Africa story

ABSTRACT This paper examines European narratives regarding border externalisation within the context of the European Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF). It seeks to understand how the EU shapes its discourse on African migration, recommends solutions, and evaluates outcomes. As the latest and most comprehensive instrument for externalising migration management, the EUTF offers abundant source material to comprehensively analyse the EU institutional narrative since the 2015 Valletta Summit. Furthermore, with its official conclusion, it presents a unique opportunity to track the complete evolution of EU policy narratives on border security, treating the EUTF as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. This paper relies on publicly accessible documents produced before, during, and after its implementation to uncover the underlying story shaping EU border externalisation. It aims to contribute to research on policy narratives related to migration and security, shedding light on the role of knowledge production in shaping border security policies. Moreover, it contributes to studies on policy narratives by proposing to couple Narrative Policy Framework approaches that look at the structure (setting, characters, plot, moral), with interpretative and critical approaches that focus on the content by uncovering the ideas, values, and assumptions on which such narratives are based.

Fragments of solidarity: the social worlds of African migrants moving northwards

ABSTRACT The article provides a framework through which to analyse the experiences and social trajectories of migration from East Africa to North Africa and Europe. On the one side, it explores the systematic relationship between war and mobility, and on the other, it highlights the social worlds generated by such mobility. The article argues that these social worlds represent crucial elements for understanding contemporary (Eastern) African societies and their political dynamics, in relation to (a) the increased relevance of migration diplomacy, (b) the spatial interconnectivity constructed through mobility and (c) the transnational and diasporic spheres that lie at the core of the social and economic reproduction of states and societies in the Horn and more generally in Eastern Africa. We highlight, through these interconnections, the genealogies and transformations of the systems of violence composing the reality of migration in the regions explored, but also the various and interconnected systems of solidarity which, although fragmented and even misused at times, sustain migrants’ trajectories, social projects and resistance. In doing so, the article argues that it is necessary to explore present and historical local understandings and conceptualisations of migration, in relation to solidarity practices, forced migration, migrant smuggling, imaginaries of mobility.

Resettlement Experiences of African Migrants in Australia

This paper reports part of a doctoral study which investigated the resettlement experiences of African migrants in Australia ( N = 115), and focuses upon the findings of those who participated in individual face-to-face interviews ( N = 30). It examines the resettlement challenges facing African migrants in Western Australia (WA), such migration having increased in recent years. Although migrating to relatively wealthy countries such as Australia may be a cause for optimism among African migrants, the challenges associated with resettlement may have a negative effect on their well-being. The findings indicate that participants experienced a variety of resettlement challenges including separation experiences, language difficulties, parenting and cultural issues, under-employment and unemployment, financial problems, and racial discrimination. The study confirms the limited existing research, contributes to a better understanding of the major challenges affecting African migrants in Australia, and has implications for the formulation of effective policies and practices aimed at mitigating resettlement challenges.

The Initial Residential Patterns of Immigrants across the Urban Hierarchy in Sweden: The Role of Educational Attainment

AbstractThis study employs the aspirations‐capabilities framework to explore the intricate interplay between choices and constraints shaping migrants' settlement patterns, with a particular emphasis on the often‐overlooked aspect of educational attainment. Using Swedish register data containing information about migrants' educational level, this paper examines and typifies the initial residential sorting patterns of migrants arriving in Sweden in the period 2000–2014. Employing multinomial logistic regression to understand how migrant sorting takes place, the results show a clear distinction in settlement patterns, with higher educated migrants being more likely to settle in metropolitan areas, and lower educated migrants ending up in rural areas, even when controlling for region of origin and purpose of migration. Nordic and African migrants, resettled refugees, older migrants, and migrant families with younger children are most likely to live in sparsely populated areas. The paper concludes that these trends exacerbate existing patterns of spatial polarization.

The Representation Of African Illegal Migrants In British Media:, The Telegraph, Channel 4 And BBC As A Case Study

The Representation Of African Illegal Migrants In British Media:, The Telegraph, Channel 4 And BBC As A Case Study

Social and cultural insertion in Angola: trajectory of African migrants and returnees

Resumo O presente artigo propõe contribuir para o diálogo sobre as migrações intra-regionais em África, com ênfase na imigração em Angola. Objetivando compreender os processos de inserção social, cultural e linguística nesse país, a partir dos aspectos que se apresentam como obstáculo e os fatores transformadores, com o aporte da metodologia comunicativa, foram realizados dez relatos comunicativos com imigrantes e regressados provenientes da República Democrática do Congo, Guiné-Conacri e São Tomé e Príncipe. Dentre os resultados, destaca-se a guerra e os conflitos armados em Angola e na República Democrática do Congo, como obstáculos e motivos para a emigração. Para os demais imigrantes, as questões econômicas estiveram na base dos deslocamentos. A aprendizagem da língua, por um lado, desvelou-se como dificultador no processo de inserção social e cultural, mas, por outro, revelou-se transformadora nos processos dialógicos de aprendizagem da língua portuguesa com nacionais ou angolanos nascidos em território congolês.

African Traditional Dances; Repertoire of African Migration Histories, Common Identities and Resistance Against Colonial Artificial Borders

African traditional dances of sub-Sahara Africa present important and unadulterated historical information that connect the histories of migration of certain African ethnic groups. The historical materials and facts of African traditional dances present the migration histories of certain African ethnic groups and defies colonial separation through artificial borders. African traditional dances and the costumes used in such dances continually connect ethnic groups which are found in different African countries together as people of a common stock. The researchers used desk information on dances performed in western and southern African countries that transcends the borders of one country in this scholarly work. African traditional dances especially from West and Southern Africa such as Agahu or Gahu and Agbadza are performed by the Ewe Ethnic group or nation found in Benin, Ghana, Togo and certain parts of Nigeria, the Sunu dance is performed by the Wolof in Senegal, Guinea, Gambia including parts of Mali and Mauritania, the Lamban traditional dance of the Mandinka people is also performed in seven countries in West Africa including Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. West African traditional dances still have important impacts on the indigenous dances of African Americans found in the Americas through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The Ndlamu dance found in Southern Africa is performed by the Nguni people including; Ndebele (Xhosa) of Zimbabwe, Swazi of Eswatini as well as the Zulu in South Africa and other Nguni tribes in Mozambique and Malawi. The performance of the Ndlamu dances by these different ethnic groups in the mentioned southern African countries also attest to the fact that all these ethnic groups are Nguni ethnic kinsmen of a common race or stock but are found in different countries due to migration or through colonial artificial borders. The researchers recommended that traditional African dances must be encouraged and tapped into as it can help to build and promote peace amongst African countries as certain ethnic groups within sub regions such as West and Southern Africa originated from a common stock and have the same or similar cultures.

“In His Eyes, I am Foreign to France”: Migration and Repatriation between France and Senegal, 1858–1911

Abstract Between 1858 and 1913, well over one hundred individuals in France sought state-sponsored repatriation to Senegal. The materials required for this process reveal how French and African actors sought to manage intra-imperial mobility as the French Empire expanded during the second half of the nineteenth century. Repatriation began as an ad hoc process used to maintain familial and professional ties between France and outposts off the coast of Senegal, but by the 1890s, it became a more formalized system that tried to limit unregulated African migration to the metropole. Despite these changes, Senegalese applicants used repatriation across this period to manage their mobility and household positions in social landscapes upended by enslavement, emancipation, and colonial expansion. These repatriation files shed light on the social lives of African migrants in the nineteenth century and changing attitudes towards intra-imperial migration.

The Political Significance of Transnational Experience in the Migritude Novel: Alain Mabanckou’s Bleu Blanc Rouge and Black Bazar

Migritude refers to both the theme of migration at the heart of a type ofmigrant novel that started to develop from the1980s and became popular from the 2000s and the condition of expats of its authors. As Chevrier observes, migritude writers are native of Africa but live in western countries. Migritude novels promote equality and anti-racism and at the centre of their narrative there is the condition of the African migrant in Europe as well as the legacy of colonialism in both Africa and Europe. This article examines the political significance of the migritude novel through the analysis of Bleu Blanc Rouge (1998) and Black Bazar (2009) by Alain Mabanckou, one of the most influential migritude writers. Through the transnational experience of the characters of the two books, Mabanckou denounces the difficulties faced by Congolese migrants in Paris and the psychological effects of colonialism which are still affecting the African populations of the ex-colonies. Migrants do not only struggle to integrate in European countries, but they also have internalised a complex of inferiority towards white people that triggers in them a form of racism against themselves. Bleu Blanc Rouge and Black Bazar calls for the deconstruction of racial essentialism, which is the root cause of racism, and advocates for the creation of a new society based on equality, reciprocal respect, support, and recognition.

Depicting Migrants' Life in Moroccan Newspapers

Sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco have become a part and partial issue in Moroccan newspapers as their number has enormously risen. Media, in general, brings to the public most of the images, data, and facts about migrants. For this reason, the media's treatment of migration generates currents of opinion and attitudes towards these people. Furthermore, since it has been massively highlighted in Moroccan newspapers, many people would interpret migration from Sub-Saharan countries primarily from the messages from the Media. Therefore, the readers' images would be influenced by how the issue is depicted and portrayed in newspapers. This article aims to shed light on the way Moroccan newspapers deal with the issue of migration towards Morocco from Sub-Saharan countries and how their life was depicted after the launch of the new migration policy. With these objectives in mind, this study is based on qualitative data collection of news items and reports from four daily printed newspapers in Morocco. Relying on Content analysis has demonstrated a stereotypical misrepresentation and a slight change in topics coverage of 'black' African migrants in news narratives.

The Cultural and Linguistic Diversity of Migrants in South Africa

This article reflects on the position of migrants in a South African setting and on their integration in the host community, with attention paid to family religious affiliation. As an interdisciplinary contribution, it introduces the concepts of “language policy” and “family language policy” in reference to African migrants’ narratives of adults who recently moved to the Western Cape in search of security and better life chances. Multilingual repertoires shape social mobility options, and vulnerable people draw on religious ideas to interpret their life journeys while seeking a better future. Also, in maintenance of heritage languages, religion often plays a central role. The notion of “family” applied to migrant workers rarely fits traditional definitions. The paper attends to how migrants’ and refugees’ mobility affects their experiences in culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse communities. Finally—mostly embedded in a discussion of other pertinent themes—the article indicates how migrants refer to the role of church and religion in their itineraries.

Community-based screening enhances hepatitis B virus linkage to care among West African migrants in Spain

BackgroundChronic infection with HBV is responsible for >50% of all hepatocellular cancer cases globally and disproportionately affects sub-Saharan African (sSA) countries. Migration from these countries to Europe has increased substantially in recent years, posing unique challenges to health systems. The aim of this study was to carry out a community-based intervention to increase HBV screening, vaccination, and linkage to care among sSA migrants in Catalonia, Spain.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study. Participants ≥18 years were offered community-based HBV screening between 20/11/20 and 21/01/22. Rapid HBV testing and blood sample collection utilizing plasma separation cards were carried out and linkage to care was offered to all participants. HBV vaccination and post-test counseling were performed at a second visit in the community. The main outcome was the odds of those with current HBV infection being successfully linked to hepatology. Rates of completing the care cascade of this model were analyzed.ResultsIn the present study, 444 people undergo screening, with 50.6% of participants showing evidence of past or current HBV infection, including an HBsAg prevalence of 9.2%. Migrants with current HBV infection exhibit 5.2 times higher odds of successful linkage to care compared to those in need of post-test counseling or vaccination. The study achieves a successful linkage to care rate of 72% for all participants, with specialist appointments arranged within 15.5 days.ConclusionsThis community-based HBV screening program provides evidence of a successful model for identifying and providing care, including vaccination, to west African migrants at high risk of HBV infection who may otherwise not engage in care.

Les migrants africains en Europe à travers Bleu-Blanc-Rouge d’Alain Mabanckou et Le Paradis français de Maurice Bandaman : des Méchants ou des perdants ?

Nous constatons ces dernières années que nombreux sont les jeunes Africains à finir tragiquement leur aventure en mer Méditerranée alors qu’ils rêvent de s’échapper clandestinement pour rejoindre l’Europe dans une aspiration à une vie meilleure, plus digne. Déçus par la réalité de l’Eldorado occidental et au contact de leur rêve brisé, certains passent par la délinquance pour se donner les moyens de réussir. L’objectif de cette étude est de montrer, à travers Bleu-Blanc-Rouge d’Alain Mabanckou et Le Paradis français de Maurice Bandaman, comment l’opinion tend à voir dans le migrant un « méchant », alors que c’est son statut même de migrant, de déraciné, de marginal, voire son absence de statut qui pousse cet individu à entrer dans l’illégalité pour survivre. Mais jusqu’à quel point le silence de ceux qui ont déjà vécu l’enfer pour arriver et vivre en Europe ne questionne-il pas leur responsabilité vis-à-vis de ceux qui n’ont pas (encore) émigré ?