Youth and Migration: Perspective of African Countries

Abstract

Most of the estimated 3,6 million Africans residing abroad are highly educated professionals. This migration has resulted in the loss of expertise in vital economic sectors. This chapter addresses the relationship between migration and youth in African nations. Many youth move in response to inadequate living conditions, unemployment, famines, the effects of climate change, and armed conflicts. Since 2012, more than 260,000 people migrated from African continent to other continents, most of them young. They respond to both push and pull factors, whether these are economic, political, cultural, or environmental. In 2017, there were approximately 420,000 more sub-Saharan African migrants living in Europe than in 2010. An estimated 1.55 million sub-Saharan African migrants resided in the United States in 2017, an increase of approximately 325,000 from 2010, when an estimated 1.22 million sub-Saharan African migrants resided in the country. As of 2017, 72% of Europe’s sub-Saharan African immigrant population was concentrated in four countries: the United Kingdom (1.27 million), France (980,000), Italy (370,000), and Portugal (370,000). Most migrants hail from Nigeria (17487), Syrian Arab Republic (16568), Guinea (12158) and Côte d’Ivoire (11966). In 2015, Greece overtook Italy as the primary point of arrival.