Mapping Children on the Move within Africa
sector, particularly in Ivory Coast.In the case of Niger, for instance, experiences gathered by the
Mixed Migration Project highlight the experience of those who, during the dry season would
traditionally move to Nigeria to work. However, the threat of Boko Haram forced them to change
their destination and many now move to Agadez or Arlit cities in Niger for masonry work.But
as the market became saturated, people started moving further North to Algeria. Children,
accompanied by their families or unaccompanied, often undertake dangerous journeys across
the Sahara Desert and become beggars so as to collect money. In areas where people rely on
agriculture for subsistence, children may be forced to move in search of employment in the event
that they do not have access to land.234 Work opportunities may be limited in such communities
in the course of dry seasons.235 This may necessitate movement of children to places where work
opportunities are available.
Domestic service sector is also characterised as major sector for migrants in Africa. An
increasing demand in the sector is driving intra and extra-African migration. The box below explains
migration that is motivated by demand for domestic work:236
Demand for domestic service in urban areas is a significant driver of rural–urban migration. In addition, adults
comprise a large share of domestic workers, yet the widespread use of child labour, in particular of young girls, is
a key feature of the sector. Besides its internal dimension, domestic service has an intraregional dimension that is
dominant in Southern and Western Africa. In Southern Africa, low-skilled young women migrants, primarily from
SADC partner States, dominate the domestic service sector in South Africa. In Western Africa, domestic service
includes intraregional child labour migration among young girls aged 8–14, who migrate from Togo to Ghana.
There is evidence that children from Horn of African countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia
and Somalia are moving to the Arabian Peninsula in order to take up poorly paid jobs, while
many children from Comoros and Madagascar move to the Middle East to work as domestic
servants.237
3.2.3 Economic and Social Factors
3.2.3.1
Poverty
Poverty is one of the major drivers of movements of hildren. Children move with their parents
or unaccompanied to escape deprivation of access to basic needs and economic opportunities.
Such deprivations can lead to a deep sense of dissatisfaction which can necessitate movement
from the place of origin to a destination where opportunities and access to basic needs are
available.238 According to UNICEF, poverty can create a vicious cycle which can cripple people to
the extent that they are unable to move.239 However, it is important to note that not all children
move out of poverty and not all children trapped in poverty are able to move. For example, countries
like Burkina Faso and Niger which have the highest levels of economically disadvantaged people
globally living on less than 2 US Dollars per day, are not the main sources of child migrants in
West Africa,240 and Africa generally.
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
Punch (n 225 above) P 2
As above.
UNCTAD, Migration for Structural Transformation: Economic Development in Africa Report 2018 p 88.
UNICEF, ‘Children on the move: Eastern and Southern Africa’
<<https://www.unicef.org/esaro/factsonchildren_5784.html>> (accessed on 18 March 2018).
As above.
UNICEF (n 166 above) p4.
As above.
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