L’industrie de la migration

Rashomon in the Sahel: Conflict dynamics of security regionalism

“…At the same time, the main strategies for improving livelihood and reducing political, economic and physical uncertainty rely on the exchanges established between these subregional systems. In a similar vein, migratory and trade flows show that interconnections between these micro-regions, based on clan, ethnic, historical and economic bonds, circumscribe a geographical and social space (Molenaar and El Kamouni-Janssen, 2017). By adopting an organizing principle based on space rather than territory, micro-regions interact and influence each other through a mechanism of diffusion built on different socio-geographical nodal points – which can be physical exchange places as much as big men and other customary leaders (Utas, 2012).…”

“…Second, in relation to issues such as border management, migration and radicalization, local needs and perceptions do not necessarily coincide with the priorities of the external interveners or their governmental allies. For example, migrations and business activities related to these have historically been among the most important strategies of economic survival for Sahelian populations, along with transborder exchanges and smuggling (Molenaar and El Kamouni-Janssen 2017). A stricter border regime made it more difficult for local populations to conduct their informal exchanges across borders.…”

The Experiences of and Challenges Faced by Nigerian Women Trafficked for Forced Labor: Implications for Faith-based Organizations and Policy Makers

“…Importantly, smuggling of migrants in West and Central Africa only occurs from some key cities of northern Niger and Mali onwards. Prior to these smuggling hubs, both regular and irregular migrants may simply have travelled from their country's capital to their destination using the transportation provided by bus companies or by taking private cars (Molenaar & El Kamouni-Janssen, 2017).…”

“…Both migrants who have entered a country irregularly as well as those who enter through regular channels but become irregular by overstaying their visa are considered irregular migrants ( de Haas, 2008). Irregular migrants are not per definition criminals, do not necessarily migrate irregularly with the help of criminal organizations, and do not migrate to participate in illicit activities (Molenaar & El Kamouni-Janssen, 2017). On the contrary, many migrate for economic reasons, as migration is an important way to diversify income and secure livelihoods for many people in West and Central Africa.…”

Europe’s unknown war

“…The EU’s attempts to stop illegal migration from Africa disrupt millennia-old patterns of circular intra-African migration. A recent report from the Clingdael Netherlands Institute for International Relations 50 points out that of the migrants passing through the ‘transit hubs’ of Agadez in Niger and Gao in Mali, both targeted by the EU’s Sahel anti-migrant initiatives, only between a fifth and a third intended to travel on to Europe; the rest were looking for temporary work in Algeria and Libya. National borders in the Sahel region, as in many parts of Africa, are relatively recent colonial constructs cutting across tribes, clans and ethnic groups.…”