“We can only solve the migration crisis at the root, in the countries of departure”. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum 2024 in Tripoli, Libya.
From January 2020 to May 2024, 7,115 people were reported to have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean Sea while in the same period, 1,180 people died while trying to reach the Mediterranean Sea by crossing the Saharan Desert. This total death toll was equivalent to the deaths related to global terrorism in 2024 was 8,352 were reported killed from 3,350 incidents.
The majority of illegal migrants are highly reported from the Sub-Saharan countries, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen who try to get into Europe mostly through the North Africa to Italy and Malta border. In 2023, more than 155,754 migrants were reported to cross into Italy by sea, a number that was almost twice the figure in 2022. For instance, in September 2023, more than 10,000 migrants arrived at Lampedusa, more than the usual residents on the Island. This mass migration led to the Italian Right-wing government under Georgia Meloni making the control of migration the main policy agenda by increasing the time illegal migrants are held, constructing more detention centers, and repatriation of the migrants with no international protection.
Why Illegal Migration?
“I’ve long believed that prevention and stopping people traveling in the first place is one of the best ways to deal with this particular issue”. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Most of the illegal migrants come from conflict and insecurity-related countries such as Libya, South Sudan, Niger, Chad, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Congo DRC, and other Sub-Saharan Africa. There other migrants who move from Gulf states, especially Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Palestinians crossing the Eastern route from Yemen to Djibouti to the Libyan border. These people risk all for the hope of better economic and social security in European countries.
Some migrants try to walk away from Africa to seek more and better life opportunities. To them, Europe is the only way out of poverty. These are not necessarily from the Conflict-affected countries but from the countries with fewer employment opportunities such as Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, and Algeria.
There is another not commonly mentioned factor, the “Nearby-Libya factor”. This happens to the countries near Libya, where people are influenced by the “close” factor between their country and Libya, as Libya is the gateway to Europe. This is much more common in Egypt, Niger and Chad.
What Next?
Africa should re-think and act.
Africa should begin taking things into its own hands. Most of the people dying while trying to cross the sea are African youth, who are considered the engine for the African future.
The African Agenda 2063 aims to transform Africa into an economic global powerhouse by 2063; if this illegal migration tragedy isn’t sorted, Africa’s agenda will be a nightmare. Africa should begin working and sorting the illegal migration push factor from its inner core.
Solve the Libyan Crisis
Among the key areas where Africa should work on, is to ensure Libya is stabilized and brought back to its feet. The torn, fragile, and unstable Libya perpetuates the crisis. Africa has to ensure there is a permanent solution within the Libyan rival factions between the UN-supported Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli and the East wing under General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army. As for now, Africa has just sat back and watched while Qatar, U.A.E, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain are pulling the strings. It’s clear enough that unstable Libya could never destabilize these mentioned countries in any way compared to the nearby African countries.
The A.U. and the African governments should prioritize Libyan stability. According to the Global Organized Crime Index report, Libya has the highest human trafficking ranks in the world, scoring 8.5 out of 10 only surpassed by Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Yemen. This score indicates how Libya is not well institutionally empowered to tackle the illegal migration crisis.
Promote Inclusive Economy
It is estimated that 34 percent of Africans are living in extreme poverty, whereas among28 world’s poorest countries, 23 are from Africa. Poverty has become a key factor in pulling illegal migrants, especially youth from their origin countries to Europe to seek sustainable basic human needs and supportive social infrastructure. This is what is termed as economic osmosis.
The African GDP is projected to grow by 3 percent in 2024 and accelerate to 4 percent in 2025-26. This tremendous annual growth when forecasted with Africa’s rapid population growth, still fails to clarify how the poverty in Africa can be eradicated. By 2050, Africa is estimated to have a net increase of 740 people, while 12 million youth will enter the labor market every year, yet only 3 million jobs will be created each year.
For instance, In 2024 the Nigeria Immigration Services reported that over 3.6 million people had left the country within two years to seek opportunities overseas due to economic hardship.
African government should promote the inclusivity economy by investing in the key sector that employs the majority of the people, especially youth such as modernized agricultural, trade, industry, and infrastructural sectors.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has to be fully implemented as it’s the major way to stimulate economic growth and labor opportunities and support sustainable development in Africa.
Insecurity
Lack of fair and equal space of democracy, rule of law, inequality, and poverty are the main sources of conflict within African countries. Among the countries contributing a huge number of illegal migrants are conflict-related states such as Libya, Nigeria, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Some of these countries have been exposed to conflict for decades, a situation where people feel insecure and tend to walk away from their countries, some become refugees while others end up as illegal immigrants.
According to the International Organization for Migration, these migrants are also exposed to sexual abuse, torture, extortion, violence, forced labor, limitation of health services, and the deprivation of food and water.
Africa has to resolve its internal conflicts and ensure the sustainability and availability of food. There must be a transformative and scientific approach to dealing with the food crisis. As of now,282 people are facing a food crisis in Africa while Africa represents 38 percent of the people that face hunger globally.
Africa should ensure the implementation of the Maputo Declaration as an agricultural transformative agreement that was adopted in 2003, where the country committed to allocate 10 percent of its national budget to agriculture and rural development with the goal of increasing agricultural productivity and improving food security and nutrition.
