Most of the continent's refugees and asylum seekers are “internally displaced” and are living in countries bordering their country of origin. This is revealed by the latest report from the International Organization for Migration
In 2019, according to the World Migration Report 2020 by the World Organization for Migration, over 21 million Africans are forced to migrate. The majority of migratory movements, however, are between regions and regions within the continent. The increase in these internal migrations, compared to previous years, is significant. Over the same period, the number of Africans living in regions other than those of origin has also increased, from around 17 million in 2015 to almost 19 million in 2019.
Since 1990, the number of African migrants living outside the continent has increased dramatically, with a more marked growth towards Europe. In 2019, the majority of African migrants living outside the region would actually be in Europe (10.6 million), Asia (4.6 million) and North America (3.2 million).
Migration and demographic growth
Demographic growth in Africa is at an all-time high compared to its decline in Europe. The significant increase in international migration in Africa, the Report reads, has contributed to the recent demographic growth at national level. Although migration is not the only factor, but considering the high fertility rates and the increase in life expectancy, the increase in intraregional migration within the continent has led to significant population changes in some countries.
For example, in recent years the percentage of international migrants compared to the national population of Equatorial Guinea has increased significantly. In 2005, international migrants represented less than 1% of the population of Equatorial Guinea, but in 2019, this percentage jumped to almost 17%. Sudafrica is another example. In 2005, international migrants accounted for 2.8% of the Sudafrican population; in 2019, this rate jumped to 7%.
Migratory races
There are important migratory corridors in and out of Africa, many of which are linked to geographical proximity and historical legacies. The migratory corridors, says the Report, “represent an accumulation of migratory movements over time and provide an overview of how migratory patterns have evolved in significant populations of foreign origin in countries of special destination”. Some of the largest migratory flows involving African countries are from North African countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to France, Spain and Italy.
Others, such as those between Sudan and Uganda, Somalia and Ethiopia, are the result of large-scale spats due to ongoing conflicts. There are also important currents of migration from the Middle East to the Gulf States, as in the case of Egypt to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Internal posts
Being posted to and from Africa is one of the main characteristics of African migration. The majority of refugees and asylum seekers from the continent are based in countries bordering that of origin.. Similarly to 2017, il Sudan has generated the highest number of refugees in Africa in 2018 (2.3 million) and is ranked third in the world, with the majority of refugees living in neighboring countries such as the Netherlands.’Uganda.
After decades of conflict, the Somalia ha prodotto il second più alto numero di rifugiati nella regione, con la maggioranza ospitata in Kenya ed Ethiopia. Other large populations of refugees come from the Sudan, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, dalla Central African Republic and dall’Eritrea. Uganda has become the largest refugee host country in the region, with around 1.2 million refugees living in the country, most of them from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Other major countries which in 2018 received refugees are Sudan and Ethiopia.
Climate and conflict
The most consistent movements of people in Africa have taken place in sub-Saharan Africa, with most of the displacements due to conflicts rather than disasters. This is in contrast to Asia, which has recorded a higher number of displacements due to climate disasters.
At the end of 2018, there were 2.9 million new soldiers in Ethiopia, the highest number in the world. In addition to those displaced by the conflict, there were more than 290,000 new displaced people in Ethiopia following climate disasters.
In 2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo registered the second highest number of new refugees in Africa and the world, with a total of 1.8 million people.
It is important to remember that climate and environmental disasters are becoming a major factor and will become even more so. One case is that of Mozambique, which was recently hit by the Idai and Kenneth cyclones.