Research On African Irregular Migration To Europe

The massive outflow of irregular migrants from Africa to Europe via the Mediterranean has threatened global peace,security,and stability in recent years.National governments and international organizations around the world are determined to find solutions to end this perilous and deadly journey.Irregular migration has been a controversial issue both domestically and internationally.The study aims to explain the evolution of migration in Africa and,in particular,examines the trans-Saharan migration of young Africans to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea,the main causes of Gambians’ irregular migration,and the difficulties they encounter traveling to Europe.These studies augur that African irregular migrants face many hardships on their way to Europe through the desert,including kidnappings for ransom,slavery,torture,and other forms of abuse,particularly in Libya,and subsequently the entire migration process.It’s recorded that almost 1,200 people died in the first half of 2022.The "back-way," as it is known in the Gambia,is the term used to characterize irregular migration from the Gambia to Europe.It has become so widespread that it is usually referred to as a societal trend.As a result,what had previously been a privilege for a small number of people started to become a widely adopted strategy for enduring the increasingly worse economic hardship and political limits.The research also elaborated on the challenges irregular migration poses to the Gambia,including the predicament of losing its bright young people,both men and women,who are pushed to leave for the desert to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in search of a better opportunity to assist their impoverished families back home.This research further focuses on the factors that drive migrants out on this perilous trip and the causes of the high rate of deaths.Many people have lost their lives during the journey,and some remain stuck in the Maghreb desert.Because their families have spent all the money,they have to send them to Europe;perhaps returning home without making it to Europe would be just as tragic as losing their lives.Lack of opportunities,a low standard of living,and the government’s failure to act on these issues all contribute to the widespread perception that many people have no choice but to travel across the perilous route through the Mediterranean with the hopes that once they arrive at the other side of the Mediterranean,things will change and their family back home will have a better source of income to live a comfortable life.To acquire secondary sources of data for this research,both published and unpublished works that are related to the topic are consulted.Adopting analytical and descriptive methodologies,actual facts will be adequately explained.The strategy also tries to identify the causes of why illegal immigration to Europe influences national development in the Gambia in both positive and negative ways and stresses the government’s willingness to address the issue of migration and irregular migration and its link to national development.This has led to the adoption of the first-ever national migration policy in the Gambia.The study generally consists of five chapters: The introductory section of Chapter One(1)offers a comprehensive review of migration and irregular migration in Africa and the Gambia,particularly the significance of conducting this research and the methods employed to collect the data for the study,including a review of the publications of academic and non-scholarly papers.But this chapter also clarifies how this subject was discussed in a range of works of literature by different authors who used to explain the methods employed by government and non-governmental organizations and the influence they had on the Gambia and Africa as a whole.Chapter two explains the three factors connected to the historical evolution of migration in the African region: the pre-colonial experiences,the colonial development tactics,and the post-colonial(present political and economic realities).In this chapter,the study shows that the first phase is the precolonial era when Africa witnessed huge population movements across the continent before European colonization.This is the period of empires and kingdoms in Africa.Precolonial African migration was haphazard;entire villages,tribes,and clans are known to have crossed borders to avoid the ravages of intertribal conflict or to escape unfavorable climatic and agricultural conditions.The second phase is the colonial era,when colonial authorities were in control of migration.The majority of the movements at the time were tied to the colonial government’s economic plans and recruitment policies,and workers in particular areas were forced to migrate to regions as part of their exploitation techniques,which allowed them to manage labor and boost their policy needs.The third phase is the post-colonial era,which is when many African countries achieved political independence from their former colonial masters and attained selfrule.During this time,many things have not changed in the migration trend and pattern,and many nations at this time were focused on developing their national economies,and migration was concentrated in towns and cities and productive agricultural areas.It was during this time that Nigeria experienced the oil boom in the1970 s,and many West Africans migrated to the oil fields for labor.This blessing in Africa accommodated social instability and political turmoil that forced several individuals in the region to flee their homes to their neighboring countries for safety and survival.However,the post-colonial era migration pattern,in general,was largely influenced by colonial occupation,behaviors including the slave trade,and the systematic use of forced labor and recruitment in Africa.And finally,this chapter elucidates the trans-Saharan and Mediterranean migrations.The migration from sub-Saharan Africa to the Maghreb to Europe has different routes and processes,but the most popular route is through the Sahara to the Mediterranean Sea and finally,to Europe.This is labeled as one of the most perilous routes one can even use to travel to Europe;it experiences more death than any other migration route.Thousands of Africans have lost their lives using the route to reach Europe,notably youths,both men and women.Chapter three explains the challenges irregular migrants face on their route to cross the Mediterranean and if they reach Europe.As we all know,the Mediterranean Sea is one of the world’s most dangerous sea crossing points.About 22,594 migrants lost their lives between 2014 and 2021.This chapter talks about the serious inhuman activities migrants have to go through during their journey,which ranges from imprisonment,enslavement,and sexual abuse.Several young people—men,women,and children—are sold or exchanged freely.They are subjected to sexual abuse and forced to work long shifts without remuneration.African migrants who hope for a better life in Libya or Europe have been victimized by heartless people who seek to murder,sexually abuse,and dehumanize them to earn fast money by demanding ransom from their families back home.Migrants are being held captive and forced into prostitution and sexual exploitation to pay their captors and human traffickers,or else murdered.Every migrant experienced torture throughout their trip to Libya,which led to psychological and physical trauma.The chapter also emphasizes the provocation irregular migrants encounter if they safely make it to Europe.Their time at refugee camps and subsequently,if they are released from these camps,the process of reintegrating into society,the regularization process,fear of deportation after settling and starting a new life,the language barrier,and finding a new job are all part of the challenges migrants face if they make it to the other side of the Mediterranean Sea.This chapter further elucidates the process of voluntary return and reintegration management in the Gambia.Since the beginning of 2016,controlling and tackling irregular migration has made the return of migrants to the Gambia a priority area of policy.IOM statistics indicate that over 3,300 Gambians have benefited from the Voluntary Humanitarian Return(VHR)Program since 2017.The majority of the returnees are men;some children and some women make up the rest.Chapter four explains the key drivers responsible for irregular migration in the Gambia,which hinge on political,economic,and social factors.This session takes a look at the overview of migration in the Gambia,which dates back to the 11 th century.The chapter further navigates to the main drivers responsible for the huge outflow of young Gambians to the desert towards the Mediterranean and Europe in search of a better opportunity and to escape poverty,as many of the young people in the Gambia feel marginalized and ignored by their government,which they put into power to provide basic amenities and a conducive environment for business and other opportunities.Other factors that motivate young migrants to take on this journey are peer influence and community pleasure.The rise in irregular migration in the Gambia has been significantly influenced by socialization.Many young people learned about the perilous route from friends or relatives,and the success stories of their community members have contributed to the high numbers of outflows in recent years.The chapter further enlightens on the impact of migration on the Gambian economy,what benefits migration brings to the Gambia and its people,and what impact it has on their lives and well-being.This work further looks into migration governance in the Gambia,and this section explains the mechanisms put in place for the management of migrants and irregular migrants,both voluntary and forceful returnees.The National Migration Policy(NMP)2020–2030,the first official migration policy released by the Gambia government through the Ministry of Interior in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration in The Gambia,addresses the fundamental causative factors and challenges of irregular migration while also offering alternatives for legal migration routes.The research concludes in Chapter 5,which also includes personal opinions based on the findings explored in this study.Additionally,it outlines some recommendations and measures that the government of the Gambia,other African governments,and the international community can adopt to stop the trend of this risky route.