African Human Mobility Review

Editorial

Mulugeta F. Dinbabo — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Migration in West Africa

Daniel Tevera — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Migrations Between Africa and China: A Decentered Approach

Oreva Olakpe, Anna Triandafyllidou — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Higher Education Policy and Access for South Sudanese from Bidi Bidi, Uganda

Christine Semambo Sempebwa — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Globally, refugee-hosting states are required to have a higher education (HE) policy that incorporates refugees, in order to raise refugees’ HE access to 15% by 2030. This paper explores the influence of HE policy formulation and implementation on refugee access and resilience among South Sudanese from the Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda. The study adopted a qualitative approach, an exploratory case study design, and an advocacy world view. The researcher collected data from 27 participants– 12 undergraduates from two private Ugandan universities, 13 government and non-governmental organization (NGO) officials, two officials from public and private universities – all involved in refugee education. Additionally, the researcher obtained data through a literature review, in-depth interviews with key informants and students, and a focus group discussion. The findings reveal that in principle, HE policy formulation in Uganda is incorporated in the development of the Education Response Plan (ERP) for refugees and host communities, through a multi-stakeholder approach. However, neither students nor higher education institutions (HEIs) were part of the ERP formulation process. The HE policy formulation process in Uganda traverses a value chain with intersecting complexities. These include: supra-state and national policy, refugee demographics, preferences for basic education and emergency interventions, negative perceptions of HE returns, hostility and refugee exclusion, and students’ personal challenges. Relatedly, support for refugees is largely provided by HEIs and NGOs, using silo, independent guidelines. Ultimately, the findings indicate that the HE policy formulation and implementation do not address the intersecting complexities adequately, with implications for student access and resilience. This study identifies areas that could inform HE policy formulation and implementation, and enhance refugee access and resilience, especially in light of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) 15by30 Roadmap.

Realising the Right to Dignity of Zimbabwean Migrant Women in Botswana: A Practical Approach

Mandipa Machacha — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article delves into the multifaceted human rights challenges confronting migrant women in Botswana, with a particular focus on women from Zimbabwe. The exploration reveals pervasive gender-specific barriers hampering these women’s access to essential healthcare and decent employment opportunities. Additionally, it sheds light on their heightened susceptibility to gender-based violence, exploitation, and discriminatory practices in the workplace, all of which collectively infringe upon their fundamental right to dignity. Central to the argument is the imperative to safeguard and uphold the right to dignity for Zimbabwean migrant women. This necessitates the establishment of an environment that not only guarantees access to basic human needs but also fosters a space free from fear and abuse. The article advocates for the implementation of a “Migration with Dignity Framework” in Botswana. This proposed framework emphasizes the critical importance of gender-sensitive policies, robust access to justice mechanisms, non-discrimination initiatives, and the assurance of healthcare, secure working conditions, and adequate housing.

Editorial

Prof Mulugeta Dinbabo — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Migration in Southern Africa

Prof Daniel Tevera — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Higher Education as ‘Strategic Power’? An Assessment of China-Africa Higher Education Partnerships and Collaborations

Obert Hodzi, Padmore Adusei Amoah — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

China is internationalizing its higher education sector – setting up several bilateral and multilateral partnerships between public and private institutions across the globe. However, as the “West” is disentangling itself from partnerships with Chinese institutions of higher education and the Confucius Institutes (CIs), African countries seem to be turning to Beijing. As a result, China overtook France to become the most preferred destination for African students. But, is higher education Beijing’s new strategy to enhance its global status? What is the effect of the shift toward Chinese higher education on Africa’s migration trends, and what is the agency of actors in Africa? Focusing on these questions, and premised on the concepts of student mobility, South–South Cooperation (SSC), and people-to-people exchange to explain the novelty and exceptionality of the partnerships, this paper explores the typology, nature, and processes involved in these partnerships and collaborations.

Gaps and Challenges in Ghana’s Implementation of the Mechanisms for Cooperation and Referral of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Victims

Geraldine Asiwome Ampah, Leander Kandilige — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is globally widespread. In Africa, however, it is prevalent in West and Central Africa. This paper uses Ghana as a case study to examine efforts that are being made to curb this menace at the national level. Drawing on the concept of institutional collaboration and interviews conducted among key stakeholders and review of policy documents, we found that the major challenges and gaps faced by institutions working to implement mechanisms for cooperation include disparities in definition of terminologies, financial and logistical constraints, underutilisation of online reporting systems, inadequate partner collaborations, a gap in the development of operational guidelines and the drafting of training manuals, operational challenges and high staff turnover. Despite these challenges, we conclude that there has been significant improvement in coordination activities in Ghana among the various institutional actors, led by the Human Trafficking Secretariat. The relevance of this study lies in the fact that it allows for a critical mapping and appreciation of the challenges developing countries face in tackling TIP, which then gives meaning to global northern-prescribed international ranking systems (the tier system) which are otherwise meaningless within the global southern context.

Deportability, Deportation and Nigerian 'Deportspora' in China

Kudus Oluwatoyin Adebayo — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

How do the manifestations of deportability in everyday life and deportation experiences constitute African migrants into a “deportspora” in China? Despite the scholarly attention paid to the migration of Africans to China, questions of deportability and the simultaneous, reverse flows through their deportation are under-explored. In this article, I examine this critical gap by exploring the lifeworlds of Nigerian migrants and deportees from China, using data from two separate studies conducted in 2017 and 2020–2021. Nigerians are exposed to “illegalization,” experience deportability threats, and become vulnerable to arrest and re-dispersal as deportees. The realities of being undocumented and overstaying, the social act of running, and the host society’s instrumentalization of deportation to regulate or order the migrant community all point to the existence of Nigerian deportspora in China. The import of this form of social formation makes deportability and deportation an essential part of social life in the African migrant community in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. The article advances critical debates in deportation studies, especially in the under-researched context of Sino-African migrations.