Nigerians in China: A Second State of Immobility

Abstract

China’s rapid economic development has been accompanied by new forms of immigration. Investors and professionals from developed countries are increasingly joined by a diverse group of immigrants from around the world. While there is a large body of academic literature on Chinese emigration, China’s new role as a country of immigration has received less scholarly attention. This paper addresses the dynamics of South–South migration to China through a study of Nigerians in Guangzhou, a major international trading hub. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews and participant observation among African traders and migrants in Guangzhou. The paper contends that Nigerian immigration to China epitomizes global migration trends towards a diversification of migration flows, commercialization of the migration process and increased policing of foreigners within national borders. China was rarely the preferred destination of this study’s Nigerian informants but, rather, a palatable alternative, as their aspirations to enter Europe and North America were curtailed by restrictive immigration regimes. They escaped a situation of involuntary immobility in Nigeria through short‐term visas obtained with the help of migration brokers. However, opportunities for visa renewals are scant under the current Chinese immigration policy. Undocumented migrants find their mobility severely inhibited: They must carefully assess how, when and with whom they move about in order to avoid police interception. This is a business impediment, as well as a source of personal distress for migrants who engage in trade and the provision of trade‐related services. The situation can be described as a “second state of immobility”: the migrants have succeeded in the difficult project of emigration, but find themselves spatially entrapped in new ways in their destination country.

El análisis de las características de los grupos étnicos africanos en el suburbio de Foshan desde la perspectiva de la movilidad

“…Las comunidades étnicas africanas en Guangzhou se describen como un nuevo tipo de espacio emblemático transnacional y se consideran como un «fenómeno temporal de la globalización» (Han, 2013;Smith, 2001). Por su parte, Haugen (2012) ha estudiado el impacto local de la movilidad de los migrantes, que vienen de «otro estado con un tipo de movilidad forzada» (Hannam et al, 2006), al mismo tiempo que otros estudios (Harvey, 1989;Haugen, 2012;Hebo, 2008;Kim, 2003;Kwong, 1987;Soja, 1989;) focalizan su interés en aspectos vinculados con la economía, la cultura, la lengua, la gastronomía, etc. .…”

An Examination of the Effect of Migrant Remittances on Human Capital Development & Agricultural Productivity in Nigeria: An ARDL Approach

“…As put by Haugen (2012:66) "One response to the rising barriers to entry to Europe and North America is migration towards more accessible, but less attractive countries in the developing world." Migration destinations in the south are often middle-income countries that attract migrants from nearby low-income economies (Hugo and Piper, 2007, cited in Haugen, 2012). The subsequent section briefly discusses four chosen theories of international migration and relays their perspective on the push-pull factors influencing migrants" decisions.…”

Entrepreneurship and interracial dynamics: a case study of self-employed Africans and Chinese in Guangzhou, China

“…Since African migrants emerge in Guangzhou as a visible racial group of relatively higher socioeconomic status vis-à-vis Chinese internal migrants, there has been a plethora of research on this new group (Bertoncello and Bredeloup 2007;Bodomo 2007Bodomo , 2010Bodomo & 2012Cai and Chen 2008;Cai and Huang 2008;Cisse 2014;Haugen 2012;Le Bail 2009;Li et al 2008;Xu 2010). However, most of the existing literature focuses on describing who the African migrants are, why they go to Guangzhou, where they live, and how they fare economically in Guangzhou.…”

“…They are of diverse origins, mostly from the former French and British colonies in West Africa. Nigerians form the largest group and Malians the second largest, followed by others from various countries such as Ghana, Guinea, Cameroon, Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia (Bodomo 2012;Cai and Huang 2008;Haugen 2012;Li et al 2008;Zhou 2011). African entrepreneurs come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, but the majority of them are well educated and proficient in English or French.…”