Migration aspirations from a youth perspective: focus groups with returnees and youth in Mali

Abstract

Mali has one of the highest migration rates in Africa, but we still know very little about the processes and drivers of migration – particularly in the context of the current political crisis. This article draws on 27 focus groups with 220 returnees and male youth respondents conducted in the summer of 2018. Respondents cite underemployment and the inability to provide for relatives as well as a feeling of hopelessness about a future life in Mali as drivers of migration. Returnees report that the voyage was more difficult than anticipated. However, even with knowledge of the significant risks they face, most (68%) returnees express a desire to try to migrate again: this is particularly true for returned migrants who failed in an attempt to reach Europe (89%). The research illustrates very different experiences for migrants attempting to reach Europe and those with goals of intra-African migration.

Dynamics and factors influencing return migration to Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review

“…Out of the total selected studies, 12 of them [ [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] , [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , [57] , [58] , [59] , [60] ] were used quantitative approach. Whereas 13 studies were qualitative [ [11] , [12] , [13] , 49 , [61] , [62] , [63] , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] ]. A mixed-methods approach was also used in 4 studies [ [69] , [70] , [71] , [72] ] (see Fig.…”

“…Two studies in the case of Zimbabwe [ 54 ] and three studies in Nigeria [ 66 , 67 , 75 ] investigated the perceptions and intentions to return, while [ 71 ] discovered the complexity of return decisions in case of Liberia. While one study each covered Botswana [ 13 ], Mali [ 63 ], Eritrea [ 59 ], and Tanzania [ 55 ]. However, a case study from Kenya explored the centrality of identity in return migration [ 49 ].…”

“…Decisions regarding return migration could be determined by numerous structural factors, such as economic, political, social as well as environmental circumstances both at the place of origin and at the destination. In sub-Saharan Africa, factors associated with economic issues and political situations were found to play a vital role in people's migration histories [ 8 , 12 , 26 , 41 , 63 , [76] , [77] , [78] , [79] , [80] ]. Economic, political, and environmental crises in countries of origin are among the principal causes of unfavourable living conditions that prompt people to migrate elsewhere [ 53 , 54 , 60 , 74 ].…”

“…As specified by Ref. [ 63 ] economic and security problems at their destinations triggered the return decisions of Malian migrants, while Liberian migrants' reluctance to return was caused by the unstable political and economic situation in their country of origin [ 71 ]. The presence of exclusion and prejudice [ 62 ], and issues related to cultural and identity clashes including differences in food type and feeding habits, as well as language barriers [ 49 , 61 ] in countries of destination force migrants to return.…”

Patriarchal Anxieties and Masculine Sexual Privilege in Contemporary Urban Mali

“…1 Currency devaluations in 1984 and 1994 made urban life significantly more expensive (Bertrand, 2013;Marcoux and Piché, 1998); the urban cost of living continues to skyrocket today. These changes have diminished economic opportunity in Bamako, delayed young people's entry into marriage (Bagayogo and Coulibaly, 2014;Bleck and Lodermeier, 2020) and undercut men's earning capacity.…”