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Discusses labour migration policy challenges in ECOWAS with an emphasis on recent patterns and trends in inter-regional labour migration between West Africa and the Maghreb, as well as on existing challenges related both to the vulnerable situation of regular and irregular migrant workers in North African transit and/or destination countries and to the prevention of abusive practices

Discusses labour migration policy challenges in ECOWAS with an emphasis on recent patterns and trends in inter-regional labour migration between West Africa and the Maghreb, as well as on existing challenges related both to the vulnerable situation of regular and irregular migrant workers in North African transit and/or destination countries and to the prevention of abusive practices

"Migrants and Refugees in Africa" published on by Oxford University Press.

This reflective article sketches the specificity of migratory flows in sub-Saharan Africa, which is essentially intra-regional. While changing dynamically, the distinctive features include increasing female migration, diversification of migration destinations, transformation of labour flows into commercial migration, and emigration of skilled health and other professionals. These migrations take place largely within the context of sub-regional economic unions which are dominated by the economies of a single country, and movements of persons have been directed to a limited number of countries within these unions. Emigration pressure is fuelled by unstable politics, poverty and rapidly growing populations. In general, remittances have been rising steeply and are an important source of income for many poor countries and serve as lifeline to pay for basic services, health care, education of siblings and children and to enhance agricultural production. Yet, millennium development goals and other development agendas are being compromised by the emigration of scarce skilled manpower. A major challenge now facing the region is how to retain, attract back and effectively utilise the rare skills of nationals living abroad for national development. The paper concludes by stressing the need for rich countries to help poor African countries foster local development, reduce poverty and create domestic employment in the spirit of co-responsibility.

Africans arriving by rickety fishing boats to the Canary Islands, risking the passage across the Straits of Gibraltar or washed upon the Italian island of Lampedusa are familiar examples of therecent growth in migration from Africa to Europe. There is a darkside of migration in human trafficking, but the picture of a continenton the move also includes highly skilled professionals fromNigeria and Ghana who seek employment in universities and otherprofessions in South Africa. On the positive side migrant remittancesare a major source of income in many sub-Saharan Africancountries, helping to sustain the lives of poor home communities.A major challenge now facing sub-Saharan Africa is how to attractskilled emigrants back for national development. ; CONTENTS --Why focus on migration? -- The sub-Saharan African migration scene -- Emigration of professionals: causes and consequences -- The characteristics and roles of remittances in sub-Saharan Africa -- The role of the diaspora in country-of-origin development -- Human trafficking -- Legislative framework governing migration in sub-Saharan Africa -- Principal actors in migration issues in sub-Saharan Africa -- Migration and development: challenges and prospects