The winds of migration

This essay is part of a (more or less) weekly feature on this blog that presents interesting stories from elsewhere in the world, particularly Africa, that are little reported in the American media. It's part of my campaign to get people to realize there is a lot going on in the world outside the US, Israel, Iraq and Iran*.

(*-upon the suggestion of a reader and due to the beating of the new drums of war, Iran has been included in this list.)


Since the election as president of longtime opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade, West Africa's Senegal has become a bit of a darling of the international community. A smooth, democratic transfer of power. A sauve president who knows exactly what words and phrases foreign diplomats and international donors want to hear. While things are certainly better off in Senegal than in most of its neighbors, things are not all roses in le pays de la Terenga.

I've already written written about Wade's autocratic political tendencies (more extensively in my francophone Africa blog).

Yet, the problems are not simply political. The economic problems are more pressing for most Senegalese. Global Voice reports on a Senegalese blogger who been chronicling the perils faced by his countrymen who try to migrate clandestinly to Europe.

Despite the well documented risks(some mortal) and the likelihood of being stopped by authorities before reaching the European mainland, thousands of Senegalese have reportedly braved this perilous journey this year alone.

A powerful video report on the subject posted by the site Seneweb has provoked hundreds of responses.

The quantity and passion of the responses (of which Global Voices have helpfully translated a few) demonstrate how important this issue ranks in the minds of many Senegalese.

Sadly, this phenemenon is not limited to Senegal or even to Africa.

In high school science, we learned how wind occurs. Wind is caused by air moving from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure. The greater the difference in pressure, the heavier the wind will be.

Migration works the same way, but in the other direction. Peoples tend to migration from areas of low economic potential to areas with higher economic potential. The greater the difference, the heavier the migration will be.

People like to think that what happens far away has no effect on them but in a globalized world, that's no longer true, if it ever was. Europe could erect a wall around its shores but as long as people in Africa can't feed their families by staying home, they will try to get in. People are going to do whatever they need to do to survive and to feed themselves and their families, even if it means being a sans papiers.

Thus, the only way to reduce the winds of migration is to decrease the economic disparity between Europe and Africa, between the US and Central America/Mexico. For this to occur, the western countries must implement fair trade practices by reducing or eliminating huge subsidies that cripple African producers. Freer trade must be structured so as to be a means, not an end in and of itself. Western countries must also restrict the highly profitable trade in small arms; far and away the most devastating weapon of mass destruction, small arms are used to destabilize countless countries and regions. Economic growth can not take off in an atmosphere of violence and instability.

Developing countries must launch a full-scale assault on corruption and bad governance, not simply let these be charades to settle political scores. The rule of law and respect for private property must go without saying if anyone is going to start a business and create employment; contrary to popular belief, respect for private property can be integrated with traditional social structures. Developing countries must also provide incentives for capable, well-educated citizens to remain at home. Universities, health facilities, laboratories and other institutions must be properly funded and maintained.

Of course, these are just a few of many things that need to be done to address global economic inequality. But it's a start. Interdiction alone will never be enough to stem the flow of migration.