When it comes to migration, Europe is shifting to the right: Italy is promoting the idea of outsourcing asylum procedures to third countries; The Netherlands is working on introducing strict new immigration laws; And in Austria, the country’s anti-immigrant Freedom Party has now been tasked with forming the government.
With the shadow of immigration also looming over next month’s elections in Germany – which are also expected to reflect a significant shift to the right – the debate over both legal and irregular migration has become one of the main talking points ahead of the vote . Misinformation and disinformation on this issue are rampant on social media.
However, few of those narratives examine the nature of migration where it begins, rarely taking into account the perspectives of those wishing to leave their homes, and how much they actually leave behind.
Hardy Yacobs of the pan-African activism movement African Rising says this has made migrants one of the most disadvantaged and misunderstood groups in the world.
“Politicians are calculating about migration policy and the elections as to what their message should be about [protecting] Limits,” he told DW, adding that such campaigning only boosts some voters – but not all.
Only a few African immigrants want to go abroad
Yacoub believes that in any election, voters have little information about the nature and root causes of migration: “There are some misconceptions about migration, especially in Africa,” he highlights. “We focus a lot on the Western perspective on migration, but there is also an African perspective.”
“The data shows…that the largest share of people [leave their homes in] “Africans want to migrate to another part of Africa, but no one is talking about it,” says Jacobs.
According to the United Nations, about 80% of the African diaspora remains on the continent in search of opportunities in neighboring countries or economic powerhouses, such as the strong economies of West Africa or the Republic of South Africa.
Jacobs said that excluding such pivotal figures from the migration debate in Europe would only harm migrants, making them less welcome and more vulnerable to victimizing examples of racism and xenophobia everywhere.
‘African Perspective’ on Migration
Jacobs said the current rhetoric across the EU largely focuses on security issues; But given the low volume of migrants coming from the Mediterranean, in his view this is merely “an act of scapegoating”.
Meanwhile, parts of Africa are at least not immune to the same xenophobic rhetoric: “Some tension is building with South African communities and some civil society groups,” DW correspondent Dianne Hawker in Johannesburg highlights. Said. The increase in Zimbabwean immigrants to the country in recent decades and xenophobic reactions to this trend.
“Some South Africans are saying that if there are too many immigrants coming into the country, it strains the limited resources available, and makes it harder for South Africans to get jobs – especially with high levels of unemployment. Because of.”
However, the majority of work and jobs performed by Zimbabwean citizens typically involve menial jobs or fill significant gaps in the informal economy, such as running corner shops. [known as “spaza shops”] In the township, Hawker said.
In fact, according to one joint report According to the OECD Development Center and the International Labor Organization (ILO), immigrants contribute up to 5% of South Africa’s GDP growth each year. About half of all immigrants to the country are believed to be Zimbabweans.
A quarter of the European workforce is already foreign
Yacob said destination countries should appreciate these contributions to their economies and avoid alienating foreigners, while also remembering that these contributions are in proportion to what they could make to society in their home countries. If they had never gone.
“We need those skills very much in our own countries as well,” he said, emphasizing that he wants to encourage people to stay in their home communities and strengthen societies in Africa.
Mass migration – as seen in the example of Zimbabweans coming to South Africa over the past 20 years – ultimately only “contributes to the stagnation” of entire countries and their economies, Jacobs believes, and thinks That the same applies to immigrants coming to Europe.
ILO said in a last month’s report Around 25% of all workers across Europe were now of foreign background – compared to less than 5% globally. In theory, this would mean that about a quarter of the potential workforce and social contribution is lost in their countries of origin.
However, in the meantime many migrants in Europe are walking a tight path between trying to better their lives and hoping to bring their loved ones back home:
“People who go abroad will send money back home along with the money they send home and … this contributes to local economies, at least to some extent in Africa,” Yacoub told DW.
According to Yacoub, governments in Africa are not doing enough to offer alternatives to migration, citing the example that many African nations find the movement of foreigners wishing to come to the continent easier than the movement of Africans wishing to move to other parts. Let’s make. Continent and try your luck there.
Meanwhile DW’s Hawker points out that the migration debate needs to consider the balance between pull factors and push factors: in the case of South Africa, she says most Zimbabweans did not come solely in search of better economic opportunities. , but that “political instability [in Zimbabwe] “Contributed to increasing migration patterns.”
In places like Zimbabwe, this mass exodus also reflects a measurable sense of brain drain in the long term: indeed, several studies show that emigration is a major contributor to the country’s economy remaining in ruins, despite high volumes of remittances. Despite this, Zimbabweans send home.
Jacobs highlights that this situation should be seen as a tragic loss in talent and human capital – even at a policy level:
“Normally, our governments have to borrow money to finance our budget so that we can educate our people from the grassroots up [schooling] To a higher level – and then they go somewhere else and contribute to society there,” he explained.
Not from Africa – move!
Yakub says that in this migration debate, African countries will have to change the image of their continent. Rather than continuing the post-colonial narrative of a set of failed states, he actually advocates the idea of turning Africa into an attractive destination for immigration – rather than a place people want to flee.
“What needs to be highlighted is that migration is not just people moving from Africa to Europe. Many Africans are moving within Africa. And Europeans are also moving to Africa,” he told DW. Proud of the African continent. “This is where we all come from.”
He stressed, “We, the Africans and the Europeans, have to cooperate.”
Meanwhile, in some parts of Africa, pressure to welcome more foreigners willing to spend their money locally is growing rapidly, bringing with it a number of challenges:
DW correspondent Hawker said, “At the moment, there are calls for the South African government to expedite visas for digital nomads to allow them to work in the country and ensure they are also contributing to the economy.” Emphasizing that the increase in the number of people coming to the Cape of Good Hope on a semi-permanent basis has pushed many locals out of many housing markets.
“So this, too, is a big part of the migration debate in South Africa at the moment,” Hawker said, pointing out that whichever direction migration patterns move in will have consequences.
Whether these outcomes are presented as opportunities or disadvantages appears to be in the hands of elected public officials in any country.
Jacobs concluded, “Countries are just random lines drawn by old colonizers anyway.”
“With immigration, we really shouldn’t let politicians make the rules for us.”
This article is an adaptation of an episode of DW’s AfricaLink podcast
