Lampedusa Deaths: Formalize African Migration to Europe

Published on 23rd June 2015

Media interviews of Africans held up at crossing points to Europe along the Mediterranean Sea shores paint a picture of individuals keen to earn better wages; buy a home; support their families and live a better life. The modern shape of the World has migration in its building blocks.  Europe is currently grappling with the question of illegal movement of people into its sub-continent. Migration need not be a zero-sum game; Africa should push a strategy for easy to realize formalized migration to Europe.

Sendhill Mullainathan and Elder Shafir in the book “Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives” argues eloquently how scarcity captures the mind. The book offers illuminating insights on how scarcity, say of food, gets the starved peoples’ minds preoccupied with food issues. The human mind “…orients automatically, powerfully, toward unfulfilled needs.” What appears to be an obvious issue on scarcity can well give pointers on how to manage and make migration a positive agenda.

Watching and reading about the risks and dangers Africans keen to migrate to Europe go through, one is left to conclude that the scarcity of “hope and livelihoods” is the driving force. Africans are looking for a better life. The quest for better life is indicative of two possibilities; that Africa is not doing enough to offer this promise and that Europe has done an excellent job marketing itself to Africa. The African migration story is focused on the basics “…to plant a new life.” Patrick Jabbi, a Congolese migrant said to Al Jazeera: “We all travel to get to plant a new life. We Africans we believe that if you go to Europe your life is good.”

The cost implication to irregularly immigrate to Europe less the risk factor is estimated at 1,000 - 1, 200 Euros for the treacherous boat crossing on the Mediterranean Sea; 1,700 – 3,400 Euros for ground navigation to reach boat access points along the coastlines in North Africa. To the migrants, the “scarcity issue” together with the expected “benefits” outweighs all risks involved towards meeting their goal. The images of African youth getting drowned across the Mediterranean Sea though dehumanizing and embarrassing to African leaders and elites do not dissuade minds captured with scarcity.

The best strategy would be to formalize the migration channels to Europe. This strategy should employ three tactics: Europe and African governments should set up “European Dream” recruitment centers across the continent (especially in countries with highest source of migrants) where youth can formally apply to work in agricultural fields, construction and cleaning sectors among others. The hundreds of Euros paid to non formal migration agents can be channeled to training and building skills capabilities before one heads to Europe.

Two: European governments should stop subsidizing political regimes that undermine the ability of individual Africans to grow enterprises and capabilities. A vibrant entrepreneurial activity within Africa will give the youth hope and jobs. Use of development aid to sustain regimes that narrow the pie to immediate family and political supporters erodes hope in Africa. It only yields an agitated population interested to jump onto the next boat.

Lastly: European governments should review its international cooperation policies that undermine productivity and enterprise in Africa. The old relationship where Africa remains a raw material exporter stifles capability to build more opportunities for the youth. Relocating knowledge driven and value added production to Africa will give youth hope and livelihood. The goal should be to include Africans at the center of value added production and global markets.

Well-thought-out joint efforts between Africa and Europe will help prevent Lampedusa deaths and create healthier migratory channels.

By James Shikwati

The author [email protected]  is Director of Inter Region Economic Network and Publisher of The African Executive.


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