Migration and Environmental Crises in Africa

This chapter discusses the contributions of economic crises, disasters, medical migration—especially for maternal and child care, in particular among the privileged— and climate change to migration in Africa, within the context of embedded values of immigration for economic advantage for self, family, and friends. Embedded local constructions of the West as the land of incredible opportunities and limitless wealth propel migration and frame local economic and environmental challenges as insurmountable requiring a determined or ‘lucky’ escape to developed countries to be achieved. Hence, local environmental crises solidify the resolve to migrate to improve socioeconomics for present and future populations through chain migration and remittances, among other culturally defined and expected support from successful migrants.