AFRICA’S IRREGULAR MIGRATION TO EUROPE: A RE-ENACTMENT OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

Recently, the international community has been confronted by many challenges that have threatened global peace, stability and security. One of such challenges is the irregular migration from Africa to Europe. This desperate but dangerous journey (otherwise called the backway syndrome) is believed to have been motivated by a number of factors, mainly economic, political and socio-cultural and as such has led to innumerable losses of lives and resources. A critical look at these journeys and the number of people that have died in the process reminds us of the transatlantic slave trade of the 16th century. This paper explores the causes and consequences of this occurrence and juxtaposes it with the transatlantic slave trade. It argues that Africa’s irregular migration to Europe in this 21st century is a re-enactment of the outdated transatlantic slave trade. The author views with concern the damage the dangerous venture does to Africa’s economic and human capital development with desperation for final solution to end it once and for all. The study adopts a descriptive and qualitative strategy of inquiry and data collection methods, which focuses on group discussion and personal interviews from randomly drawn groups and individuals from West Africa. A literature review is also employed to supplement these existing knowledge sources. The author comes to the conclusion that the harsh socio- economic and political conditions in Africa, the great expectations which African youths have about Europe and the global factors are among the major factors that have driven them out of Africa to Europe. The author concludes that, not until Africa is made conducive to its people will this ugly phenomenon be effectively curbed.