Analyze migration within context of Africa’s social protection systems – AU

The African Union (AU) has underscored the need to analyze the impact of migration in the countries of origin within the context of the social protection systems in Africa.

“The impact of migration in the countries of origin ought to be studied within the context of the social protection systems in Africa, as the crux of the phenomenon is good governance and rule of law,” Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission Kwesi Quartey said.

Quartey also stressed that “attention needs to be paid to intra-Africa migration,” as he described the significant contribution of immigrants to Africa’s economic growth under normal intra-Africa migration.

His remarks on strengthening the free-movement of people within the continent came amid AU’s ambition to curb the dangers of overseas migration through the promotion of legal intra-Africa migration trend.

AU Commissioner for Social Affairs Amira Elfadil Mohammed said recently that the free movement of people in Africa “will help reduce dangerous migration trends, mainly to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea”.

“The free movement of people will offer potential overseas migrants, particularly those taking dangerous routes, new options and thus help their pursuit for better life and employment across Africa,” Mohammed said.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in a recent report indicated that with 19 million African migrants moving within Africa and 17 million Africans leaving the continent in 2017 alone, there’s a huge potential for African nations to extract economic benefits from their migrant populations.

The African Union has declared the year 2019 as the year of refugees and internally displaced persons with the theme “Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Toward Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa.”

Source: GNA