In 2017, 19 million international migrants moved within Africa and 17 million Africans left the continent. Africa is also a migration destination for 5.5 million people who came from outside the continent.
"Population movements across borders often offer individuals a chance for a better life with the social and economic benefits extending to both source and destination countries, as well as future generations," Kituyi said in the report.
"Our analysis shows this to be true for millions of African migrants and their families… Yet much of the public discourse, particularly as it relates to international African migration, is rife with misconceptions that have become part of a divisive, misleading and harmful narrative." Kituyi is a Kenyan development expert.
She said Africans identified countries where opportunities are better: "So, you see [people from] many countries going to South Africa, going to Kenya, going to Ghana today, to Senegal, to all those places that are perceived to be a prosperous country, as there the opportunities are ample." She added: "Countries with relatively higher levels of economic and human development such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Ghana and Senegal tend to have comparatively higher emigration rates outside the continent than poorer countries."
In 2017, the top five intra-African migration destinations (receiving countries in descending order) were South Africa, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ethiopia (all exceeding a million migrants), the report says. South Africa's position as the top destination, despite the hostility it often displays to migrants, indicates the perceived strength of the economy, say UN experts.
The contribution of international migrants to GDP was measured at 19 percent in Côte d'Ivoire (2008), 13 percent in Rwanda (2012), nine percent in South Africa (2011) and one percent in Ghana (2010).
UNCTAD says both intra- and extra-continental migration are needed for supporting Africa's structural transformation.
Remittance inflows to Africa rose on average from U.S. $38.4 billion in the 2005–2007 period to $64.9 billion in 2014 to 2016. These accounted for 51 percent of private capital flows to Africa in 2016, up from 42 percent in 2010.
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