Paper short abstract:

Building on the racist crisis in Tunesia in 2023, I explore the entanglement of African nationalism, race, and gender in the backdrop of EU border externalization. Drawing on the perspectives of Black migrant activists, I critically reassess racialized patriarchal constructs of African postcolonies.

Paper long abstract:

The violence of Western border and migration regimes is intensifying. Borders racialize and sexualize. They delineate the spheres of rights and non-rights, of being and non-being, and shape our participation in economic life and ability to survive.

Simultaneously, the process of externalizing Western borders into the territories of the South blurs the geopolitical line between North and South, especially evident in the interplay between the European Union and African governments. Postcolonial, race-critical, and intersectional border studies foreground the entanglement of the EU's neoliberal, racialized, and gendered border politics and the social relations and hierarchies in Africa and emphasize the need to decolonize hegemonic migration and border theories to grasp these processes.

The racist violence in Tunisia in early 2023, triggered by President Saied's nationalist discourse on the "great replacement" by black migrants and the subsequent fatal expulsions at the Tunisian-Libyan border, starkly exemplifies the effects of neocolonial bordering on African territories. In this context, Black and Sub-Saharan migrants face intersectional forms of oppression and exploitation along the lines of race, class, and gender.

Building on these events, my contribution explores the entanglement of postcolonial nationalism, race, and gender regimes in the backdrop of EU border externalization. Drawing on the perspectives of Black African migrant activists in Germany, Niger, and Senegal, I critically reassess racialized and patriarchal constructs of African postcolonies and revisit Pan-African visions of a decolonized future.

Paper short abstract:

Using the case of Senegal, this paper highlights the crucial role that local scholars and researchers play in shaping narratives and developing conceptual models about migration.

Paper long abstract:

Irregular border crossings into the European Union via the Western African Route — from the African continent to Spain's Canary Islands — saw a significant surge in 2023, escalating by 116 percent compared to the corresponding period a year ago. Such figures are typically employed by advocates of stricter border control to underscore the perceived threat of migration. On the flip side, proponents of positive migration tend to downplay these numbers, emphasizing the benefits of people moving between borders and cultures.

To move away from this polarization, this paper delves into the discourses surrounding migration emanating from Europe and the US, examining the pivotal role that universities and local researchers situated within the African continent may play in reshaping these narratives. The objective is to decolonize some ideas about migration, comprehending it as a reality within the history of humanity, rather than categorizing it as a solely positive or negative modern aspect of our lives.

In this regard, the significance of local institutions and researchers within the continent lies in their capacity to offer fresh perspectives on the intricate dynamics of migration, avoiding the polarized stances often adopted by critics and proponents of immigration. This perspective not only challenges stereotypical portrayals but also aims to dispel the misconception that we are living in an era of unprecedented migration (Hein de Haas, 2023).

Paper short abstract:

The paper explores the political economy of migration policies and geopolitical dynamics rooted in neo-colonialism. It lays bare the asymmetrical power between the global North & South reflected in international migration policies. In a way, this fails to acknowledge the complexity of migration.

Paper long abstract:

Migration, an age-old phenomenon, has surged with globalisation and underpinned by technological advancements. Africans historically engaged in intra-continental migration, pastoral agriculture, and batter trade. They were content with their economic lifestyles until the arrival of missionaries. Notably, migration from the global South to the North originated from the former. It is crucial to note that historically, global North migrants freely entered Africa, whereas those from the South were compelled to move into, for example, Europe, as ‘slave labour’. Today, the global North is deemed 'developed,' contrasting with the 'under-developed' or 'developing' global South due to cheap slave labour that played a central role in building the former’s economies. Of concern is the introduction of restrictive migration policies to preclude the free movement of people from the global South to the global North. Paradoxically, migrants from the North enjoy the right to free movement and visa privileges in the South, reflecting skewed migration policies. This imbalance raises questions about class, power, and racial dynamics. Based on desktop review and archival research, the paper explores the political economy of migration policies, examining contemporary geopolitical dynamics rooted in historical and neo-colonialism. Furthermore, it questions the unilateral decision-making and crafting of international migration policies by the global North. In a way, the exclusionary approach fails to acknowledge the agency of the global South and the complexity of migration premised on geo-politics. This begs the question, “Whose interest do these international migration policies serve? Could this be a new form of subtle colonialism?

Paper short abstract:

Drawing on a rich corpus of some fifty life stories, the main aim of this paper is to examine perceptions and representations of irregular migration in Senegal in particular, and in African countries in general.

Paper long abstract:

In today's globalized world, where the movement of goods and people is both a marker and a constant of our times, the issue of migration is analyzed from a number of different angles. However, a review of the numerous works on migration dynamics in Senegal shows that few refer to and focus on the perceptions and representations of irregular migration in Senegal in particular, and in African countries in general. Drawing on a rich corpus of some fifty life stories, the main aim of this paper is to deconstruct, through an analysis of perceptions and representations of irregular migration, the negative, miserablist and centrifugal discourse of European countries on the issue of so-called irregular migration. To test the needs of this research, we favored a socio-anthropological approach that "aims to be as close as possible to the subjects' natural situations - daily life, conversations, routines - in a situation of prolonged interaction between the researcher in person and local populations, in order to produce in situ, contextualized, transversal knowledge, aiming to account for the actor's point of view, ordinary representations, customary practices and their indigenous meanings." (De Sardan, 2008: 41). Our methodology is essentially qualitative, involving life stories and informal discussions.

Paper short abstract:

Global remittances flow bidirectionally, Global north to south and vice versa. Literature often spotlights the south's reliance, neglecting the crucial role of southern remittances in bolstering the north's economy. This paper emphasizes the two-way remittances, providing a broader perspective

Paper long abstract:

An extensive body of research on international migration highlights international remittances. Some have compared the volumes of remittances accrued from migrants in the global north to FDIs and official development aid. Whilst this epos is profoundly revealing, there are several instances of remittance from global south countries to global north countries. This daily occurrence is rarely conceptualized as a major source of income or livelihood for recipients, and a source of income for global north countries. Questions such as: To what extent are international migrant students’ daily livelihood shaped by remittances from their home countries? What volume of remittance income from global south becomes available to the global north receiving countries? have remained rarely explored. Bearing in mind these questions, the paper shows how dependence of remittances from families and other sources in global south sending regions is a normal part of the daily lives of international migrants whose livelihood depends on it. By focusing on students’ migrants in the UK, one of the most common features of international migration from the global south to the global north, this paper will contribute to our understanding of remittances associated with international migration.

Paper short abstract:

By depicting the negative consequences experienced by families of migrants in Africa and the unfulfilled desires for easy gains, the African writers potentially serve to dissuade migration and underscore its hindrance to African development.

Paper long abstract:

The issue of immigration from Africa to Europe or America stands as one of the most recurrent themes in current affairs, academic discourse, and literary debates concerning Africa. This paper seeks to examine migration as a catalyst for the misery and underdevelopment of the African continent. It argues that migration symbolically underpins the disintegration of productive forces and serves as a crucible for familial suffering or the outright destruction of family structures.

African literature portrays migration to Europe or America as an opportunity to explore unfulfilled desires and an elusive future. This paper delves into the artistic representation of migration, particularly through literary works, to demonstrate how the pursuit of personal enrichment by migrants often leads to their downfall and the destabilisation of the familial nucleus. Through the analysis of literary works by African authors such as Henri Lopes, Véronique Tadjo, Fatou Diome, and many more, this study aims to unravel the intricacies of the migrant experience, highlighting its perpetual nature and the profound impact it has on individuals and families alike.

By examining the themes of migration, loss, and familial disintegration in African literature, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the socio-economic factors driving migration from Africa to other continents, from an African perspective. It underscores the complex interplay between individual aspirations, societal pressures, and the harsh realities faced by migrants, shedding light on the cyclical nature of migration and its role in perpetuating the cycle of poverty and underdevelopment in Africa.

Paper short abstract:

The consequences of disguised western migration policies on Africa’s developmental drive have been unwavering. Yet the beneficiary has always played the victim even when its policies suggest a siphoning spree agenda of trained human resources out of Africa.

Paper long abstract:

The consequences of disguised western migration policies on Africa’s developmental drive have been unwavering. Yet the beneficiary has always played the victim even when its policies such as blue card, green card, scholarship schemes all suggest the contrary. While migration policies in the Sahel are sponsored by the West to restrain irregular migration of unskilled Africans who are perceived to be a burden, the blue card and scholarship schemes are used to bate thousands of skilled personnel to support the healthcare and educational systems of the west. The attempt to understanding the consequences of the western migration policies on Africa’s developmental drive and the associated complexities remain the main focus of this paper. Review of relevant literature and migration policies shows that, the care industry in Europe and America survives on the back of trained teachers and health workers from Africa and other third world countries. It has been observed that the effects of the western migration policies even soared in post COVID-19. In 2021 alone, over 44, 000 basic schoolteachers in Ghana resigned and migrated to Western Countries. This supports the arguments of the underdevelopment theorist of migration which sees the capitalist migration policies as the best means of siphoning cheap labour to prosecute its developmental agenda at the expense of countries in the global south. The accessibility of the west migration policies to the hinterlands of the global south exacerbates the poverty, labour displacements to major sectors while the core profits for their development.