Thousands of African nationals leave their home country each year to pursue better economic prospects within or outside Africa, depriving the continent of its vital human resources. Despite this enormous loss, the African diaspora, equipped with their competencies, new ideas and expertise gained abroad, are a tremendous asset to the development of their countries of origin as well as to their host country.

Migration brings substantial benefits to destination countries by easing labour shortages, for instance in such activities as childcare or house cleaning, low skilled jobs in the underground economy, but also jobs in industries requiring high skills and specialist knowledge. Migrants can contribute to the development of new technologies and skills, and enrich the human capital, create job opportunities and wealth that result from migrant entrepreneurial activities. These are factors that can enhance flexibility and productivity and contribute to economic growth and GDP.

Governments at both ends of the migration cycle increasingly recognize the value of diasporas’ spontaneous engagements with their countries of origin and are seeking ways to cooperate with them. Beyond the remittances they send back to their homelands (more than USD 400 billion in 2010), diasporas are major direct investors in critical and emerging industries, known patrons of nascent tourism initiatives, and generous philanthropists.

The research presented in this volume was directed by Nina Nyberg Sorensen and is

Policymakers increasingly recognize the value that diaspora populations bring to develo

The emigrant population has certain emotional, social and cultural requirements, which they fulfil by maintaining a certain degree of relationship with their origin country. This in many cases result in strong economic, social and cultural interactions. Because of these links, Bangladesh along with the host countries has made significant gains from long-term emigration of a section of its population.

Contemporary migration from Morocco can be traced back to the colonial period. Sustained by the economic boom in Europe and the need for labour migrants, migration was sharply restricted in the early 1970s, although already existing transcontinental family networks as well as official family reunion schemes in Europe enabled further migration and settlement. Originally from rural areas, post-1970 migration flows originated in larger urban areas, targeted a wider range of destinations and included a growing share of well educated Moroccans and, increasingly, also women.

This first ever study on the Nigerian diasporas in Ghana and South Africa highlights that the profile of these diasporas is similar to that of Nigerians in Europe and North America in terms of migration push and pull factors, remittance behavior and identification with ‘home’.

Promoting Positive Contributions to Socioeconomic Development and Political Transitions in their Homelands (Arabic) This collection of research papers focuses on specific aspects of the complex relationships that exist between expatriate communities and their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa, highlighting in particular the various kinds of social, political, and economic engagement that define these relationships. The collection was a collaborative endeavor between IOM and the League of Arab States.

The trend of Nigerians migrating to South Africa has been increasing over time and indications are that this is still continuing. The increasing migration trend has created an opportunity to harness the potential resources of this group. This mapping exercise was conducted to provide information on the Nigerian diaspora working in the health and education sectors in South Africa, as well as to identify those who are willing to invest or contribute their skills towards the development of Nigeria.