Africa

The number of migrants in Africa in 2010 is estimated to be approximately 19 million, just under 9 per cent of the total global stock of migrants in 2010 though numbers may be higher given the relative lack of migration data. Africa is a continent faced with low levels of human security acting as a push factor for migration. Though Africa is mainly a continent of emigration, the dynamics within its regions differ with several countries acting as new destination and transit countries.

In Western Africa, ECOWAS has established the ECOWAS Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons and the Right of Residence and Establishment. North African countries have traditionally been countries of origin of migrants and are quickly becoming transit and destination countries for African and other migrants. Migration from East Africa is mainly intraregional, with considerable flows of both forced and voluntary migrants. South Africa hosts the majority of international migrants in Southern Africa at 1.9 million.

Migration policies vary throughout the continent from those dealing with forced migration to the emigration of the highly skilled to migration and development. Integration policies, though almost non-existent, will however need to account for increasing regional and cross-border migration flows.

Read here about an example of City dealing with integration in Africa: Cairo

Information taken primarily from UNDESA Trends in International Migrant Stock; the World Bank Development Prospects Group; International Organization for Migration World Migration Report 2008.