News

African peace works, says UN

September 14, 2006 Edition 1

Hans Pienaar

Efforts to resolve conflicts in Africa - in which South Africa under President Thabo Mbeki is playing a central role - are bearing fruit, judging by the latest figures on migration released by the United Nations.

Since 1990 the number of refugees in sub-Saharan countries has declined from 5.4 million to 2.75 million, and the total number of migrants has grown only by 265 000 from 2004 to 2005. This is largely because of the decrease in the number of refugees fleeing the conflicts that have plagued African countries in the 1990s, says the UN.

The figures were released ahead of a special session of the General Assembly on migration, the first time it is meeting on the issue. The aim of the two-day session is "to focus on ways to maximise the development benefits of international migration and reduce difficulties".

Migration is making a great impact in the globalised 21st century. In Australia and Canada, just under 20% of the population is made up of migrants, and in the United States alone, 13% of the population, or 38 million people, are migrants.

"The most recent estimate of the total amount of remittances that migrant workers send home to developing countries is $167 billion (R1 169 billion), in 2005," says a UN statement.

Impact

"This estimate is double the amount actually reported but may not reflect entirely the remittance flows going through informal channels. Overall, remittances could have an impact equivalent to about half a trillion US dollars."

In Africa, research has shown that migration has been having an especially beneficial effect.

The UN Economic Commission for Africa says the international debate has centred on the "brain drain" and desperate attempts from migrants to reach Western European destinations, often at a great loss of life. But "growing evidence shows that international migration has positive effects on social and economic development in Africa".

Remittances from the wages of migrants abroad help to create new sources of income for relatives in home countries in Africa.

New transnational associations, investment groups and religious networks set up to handle such remittances are integrating Africa into the world economy, says the UN. Knowledge acquired by migrants helps returnees to establish new businesses, factories and farms.

In Africa, South Africa is the biggest host nation for migrants, of whom many work as mineworkers in accordance with decades-old agreements with neighbouring countries. The UN quotes a study showing that poverty would increase by 15% in Lesotho if its mine-workers were to stop sending remittances.

But the UN has also cautioned against the downside of migration, referring specifically to South Africa. The UN Conference on Trade and Development says: "Departures of health workers from Africa to richer countries have led to a significant deficit of essential skills in the health sector."

More than 12 000 doctors trained here now work in a developed country, and slightly less than 33 000 in South Africa. More than 900 physicians trained in Ghana are working in a developed country, compared with 3 240 practising within the country.

Globally, more than half of all migrants are now women, and they outnumber men in developed countries.

The positive effects of migration are demonstrated by the fact that only 20% of governments - down from 40% in 1996 - have indicated they have programmes to discourage immigration.

Half of all governments surveyed by the UN have stated they would like migration to continue at current levels. - Independent Foreign Service

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