Emigration from Africa
Encyclopedia
There is significant migration from Africa
to Europe
.
As of 2007, there were an estimated seven million African migrants living in OECD countries. Of these, about half are of North African origin, mostly residing in France
, Italy
, Belgium
, Spain
and the Netherlands
, while the other half are of Sub-Saharan Africa
n origin, present throughout Western Europe, with significant concentrations in Belgium, France, Italy
, the Netherlands, Portugal
, Spain and the United Kingdom
.
African immigration to the United States
has been comparatively slight, totalling to 806,000 immigrants over the 1971–2003 period, accounting for about 3.3% of total immigration to the US.
Most of this migration is illegal
, and the European Union
Frontex
agency's "Operation Hermes" is monitoring the Mediterranean between North Africa and Italy.
Due to increased border controls along the Mediterranena, there has been a shift of preferred migration routes towards Greece
.
During the period of 2000-2005, an estimated 440,000 people per year emigrated from Africa, A total number of 17 million migrants within Africa was estimated for 2005.
The figure of 0.44 million African emigrants per year (corresponding to about 0.05% of the continent's total population) pales in comparison to the annual population growth
of about 2.6%, indicating that only about 2% of Africa's population growth is compensated for by emigration.
During the 2000s. North Africa
has been receiving large numbers of Sub-Saharan Africa
n migrants "in transit", predominantly from West Africa
, who plan to enter Europe. An annual 22,000 illegal migrants took the route from either Tunisia or Libya to Lampedusa
in the 2000-2005 period. This figure has deceased in 2006, but it has increased greatly as a result of the 2011 Tunisian revolution
and the Libyan civil war.
In 2005 10,000 West African migrants heading for Europe were stranded in the Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou
, and 20,000 sub-Saharan African migrants were waiting for an opportunity to cross to Europe in the Spanish enclaves in North Africa.
Approximate populations of African origin in Europe:
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to Europe
Immigration to Europe
Immigration to Europe increased from the 1980s onward, as a result of people from developing countries wanting to escape war, oppression, natural disasters or poverty. Some EU countries saw a dramatic growth in immigration after World War II until the 1970s. Most European nations today have...
.
As of 2007, there were an estimated seven million African migrants living in OECD countries. Of these, about half are of North African origin, mostly residing in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, while the other half are of Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
n origin, present throughout Western Europe, with significant concentrations in Belgium, France, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the Netherlands, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Spain and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
African immigration to the United States
African immigration to the United States
African immigration to the United States refers to the group of recent immigrants to the United States who are nationals of Africa. The term African in the scope of this article refers to geographical or national origins rather than racial affiliation....
has been comparatively slight, totalling to 806,000 immigrants over the 1971–2003 period, accounting for about 3.3% of total immigration to the US.
Most of this migration is illegal
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
, and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Frontex
Frontex
Frontex is the European Union agency for external border security...
agency's "Operation Hermes" is monitoring the Mediterranean between North Africa and Italy.
Due to increased border controls along the Mediterranena, there has been a shift of preferred migration routes towards Greece
Immigration to Greece
During the military dictatorship , labour immigrants were recruited, mostly from Egypt, and in the 1980s Filipina nurses were also directly recruited. These were followed in the late 1980s by political refugees from various Eastern European countries and Kurds from Turkey...
.
During the period of 2000-2005, an estimated 440,000 people per year emigrated from Africa, A total number of 17 million migrants within Africa was estimated for 2005.
The figure of 0.44 million African emigrants per year (corresponding to about 0.05% of the continent's total population) pales in comparison to the annual population growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
of about 2.6%, indicating that only about 2% of Africa's population growth is compensated for by emigration.
During the 2000s. North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
has been receiving large numbers of Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
n migrants "in transit", predominantly from West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, who plan to enter Europe. An annual 22,000 illegal migrants took the route from either Tunisia or Libya to Lampedusa
Lampedusa
Lampedusa is the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The comune of Lampedusa e Linosa is part of the Sicilian province of Agrigento which also includes the smaller islands of Linosa and Lampione. It is the southernmost part of Italy. Tunisia, which is about ...
in the 2000-2005 period. This figure has deceased in 2006, but it has increased greatly as a result of the 2011 Tunisian revolution
Tunisian revolution
The Tunisian Revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011...
and the Libyan civil war.
In 2005 10,000 West African migrants heading for Europe were stranded in the Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou
Nouadhibou
Nouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial centre. The city itself has about 75,000 inhabitants expanding to over 90,000 in the larger metropolitan area. It is situated on a 40-mile peninsula or headland called Ras Nouadhibou, Cap Blanc, or Cabo Blanco, of...
, and 20,000 sub-Saharan African migrants were waiting for an opportunity to cross to Europe in the Spanish enclaves in North Africa.
Approximate populations of African origin in Europe:
- ArabsArab diasporaArab diaspora refers to Arab immigrants, and their descendants who, voluntarily or as refugees, emigrated from their native lands and now reside in non-Arab countries, primarily in Latin America, and Europe, as well as North America and South Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and West...
(including North African and Middle Eastern Arabs): approx. 5 million, mostly in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Greece and Russia. (see Arabs in EuropeArabs in Europe- The Historical conquest :Arabs in Europe have a long history beginning with the Arab Empire when the Arabs conquered the Iberian peninsula, including what is now Spain and Portugal, and the island of Sicily in Italy. However, most of the Arabs of that time were expelled after the Reconquista...
) - Black AfricansAfro-EuropeanBlack people in Europe are black people who are residents or citizens of European countries...
(including Afro-Caribbeans and others by descent): approx. 5 million; mostly in Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal (in Spain and Portugal Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin AmericanAfro-Latin AmericanAn Afro-Latin American is a Latin American person of at least partial Black African ancestry; the term may also refer to historical or cultural elements in Latin America thought to emanate from this community...
are included in Latin AmericansLatin AmericansLatin Americans are the citizens of the Latin American countries and dependencies. Latin American countries are multi-ethnic, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds. As a result, some Latin Americans don't take their nationality as an ethnicity, but identify themselves with...
). - BerbersBerber peopleBerbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
: approx. 2 million, mostly in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain - Horn AfricansHorn of AfricaThe Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
: approx. 200,000 Somalis; mostly in the United Kingdom,
See also
- Immigration to EuropeImmigration to EuropeImmigration to Europe increased from the 1980s onward, as a result of people from developing countries wanting to escape war, oppression, natural disasters or poverty. Some EU countries saw a dramatic growth in immigration after World War II until the 1970s. Most European nations today have...
- Arabs in EuropeArabs in Europe- The Historical conquest :Arabs in Europe have a long history beginning with the Arab Empire when the Arabs conquered the Iberian peninsula, including what is now Spain and Portugal, and the island of Sicily in Italy. However, most of the Arabs of that time were expelled after the Reconquista...
- Afro-Europeans
- African immigrants to Italy
- African immigrants to Switzerland
Reference
- Arno Tanner, Emigration, brain drain and development: the case of Sub-Saharan Africa, 2009, ISBN 9789529959211.
- Belachew Gebrewold-Tochalo (ed.), Africa and Fortress Europe: threats and opportunities, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2007, ISBN 9780754672043.
- Hein de Haas, Irregular Migration from West Africa to the Maghreb and the European Union: An Overview of Recent Trends, International Organization for Migration, Geneva, 2008.