South-South Migration : Example of Sub-Saharan Africa

Although migrants within the African continent number over 16 million, so far very little consideration has been given to the diverse nature of this migration. All the attention is focused on migration from South to North. It is true that the diversity and the rapid changes in regional and sub-regional situations make South-South migration difficult to classify. However, the distinction between voluntary and forced migration still applies when the accent is on the factors that prompt people to leave their homes. Also, the links between migration and development seem more complex in the case of South-South migration than in the case of migration from South to North. The former does not generate any significant revenue and has to be seen as a resource, in other words as revenue integrated into local activity systems.