Europe has
experienced one of the highest migration levels over the past three years with
migrants coming from war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
There has also been a significant number of migrants from African countries
such as Ivory Coast, Mali and so forth.
This huge influx has clearly put an economic strain on European countries, especially
Germany which has taken in over a million migrants in such a short space of
time.
In the midst of
this crisis are fears of ethnic and cultural extinction, job losses and crime,
amongst others. But what can
Europe do to tackle the root causes of immigration and to appease their
citizens?
Migration from
Africa countries is largely driven by social and economic factors and less so
by political issues, with a few exceptions.
These factors
which include poverty, high unemployment rates and poor living standards are
caused by a variety of factors, but a significant one is the issue of
international trade agreements where African countries often get the short end
of the stick. With African countries unable to compete against European
countries, the continent ends up being flooded with cheap European goods,
consequently killing local companies and causing thousands of job losses. Of
course it is not only European goods, but also Chinse and Indian goods and
others that has led to local business closing down and people losing their
livelihoods.
We often hear
African leaders urging entrepreneurs to venture into manufacturing and
agriculture to create employment, but the call has largely fallen on deaf ears,
because it is unsustainable for them to do so, leaving African countries in a
perpetual state of ‘developing countries’ that imports goods that it would
otherwise have been able to produce. A continent of consumers rather than
producers.
For as long as
we have unequal and unfair trade agreements, immigration from Africa to Europe
and elsewhere will remain a problem, because let’s face it, who doesn’t want a
better life that would enable them to provide for their family?
It is time that
these causes are addressed, because it would ultimately be a positive for all
parties and Africa would probably stop depending on foreign aid to provide for
their citizens.
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