ACERWC African Committee of Experts on the Rights & Welfare of the Child 17,000 and 20,000 people from Ethiopia and Somalia used the route around 2008 and 2009.348 However, recent estimates indicate that annually the number of individuals entering South Africa is between 13,400 and 14, 050 because most people find Europe more attractive.349 Also due to the recent ‘Xenophobic’ attacks that foreigners face in South Africa as well as growing labour opportunities in other states along the route, migrants and refugees choose alternative destinations.350 However, South Africa remains the most important destination for people moving along the route.351 The journey along the Southern route is dangerous and difficult thus imposing a great deal of hardship to children who take it, which makes them vulnerable violation of their human rights.352 The journey through the route is frequently taken with the ‘help’ of smugglers. On average, the journey to South Africa takes about eight weeks, but can take longer.353 In certain instances, those involved in smuggling do not use the straight route through Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in order to avoid detection.354 They switch up routes and may pass through states such as Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe.355 In addition, sometimes they may use air travel to South Africa either flying from Addis Ababa or Nairobi but much is not known about the number of irregular migrants who travel the Southern route through this means.356 Map 6: Southern route357 4.2 Routes through the West and Central Africa into North Africa There are three primary routes in North Africa which migrants and refugees use, although the central route through Niger is most popular. There is a historical context to the choice of routes in the region. The movement of people within the West and Central Africa precedes the present 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 64 GIZ et al, irregular Migration from and in the East and Horn of Africa (2016) p 31. Marchand (n 312 above) p 32. As above. Marchand (n 312 above) p 33. Katy & Jeff (n 345 above) p 1. GIZ et al, irregular Migration from and in the East and Horn of Africa (2016) p 32. As above. As above. As above. As above.