Decentring knowledge

In many parts of the developing world, South-South Migration (SSM) accounts for a larger proportion of the migrant population than South-North Migration (SNM). Based on SSM from Ethiopia to the Gulf countries and to South Africa, this chapter presents five interactive reasons for the dominance of SSM. First, historical interactions over relatively shorter distances create the foundations for more contemporary migration. Second, different socio-cultural processes help build capabilities to enable individuals and communities to sustain migration to southern destinations, relative to northern destinations. Third, there are fewer and less challenging geographic barriers to SSM than SNM. Fourth, culturally entrenched factors and processes enable and constrain SSM and SNM differently. Fifth, the socio-economic situation and governance condition of southern destination countries is more permissive to informal migration.

This paper relies on a desk-review and qualitative data to examine the narratives that shape migration policy formulation and outcomes in West Africa.