Suchergebnisse

This paper looks at migration and the politics of representation in contemporary Italian cinema by comparing one of the Nigerian videos recently produced in Italy, Akpegi Boys (2009), directed by Vincent Omoigui and Simone Sandretti, with two recent Italian films which portray the experience of Nigerian migrants in Italy, Marco and Antonio Manetti's Torino Boys (1997), and Enrico Verra's Sotto il Sole Nero (2004). Interestingly enough both films take, implicitly and explicitly, Nigerian videos as a narrative and aesthetic reference in order to build an innovative representation of Nigerian migrants in Italy, thus positioning themselves in an original position vis-à-vis the growing corpus of Italian films about migration emerged over the past two decades. As this paper argues, these three films allow us to identify the emergence of what could be defined as an "anti-humanitarian" representation of migration. By defining their attitude as anti-humanitarian, I do not intend to mean that these films assume a negative or derogatory perspective on migration. On the contrary, what I intend to highlight is that these are films that, by using a number of specific narrative and aesthetic strategies such as, among others, the reference to Nollywood commercial and exploitation filmmaking style, make an attempt to go beyond the binary representation that much debate on migration in Italy implicitly embraces, a representation according to which the migrant is either seen as an invader or as a victim. By playing with cultural references that belong to the contemporary cultural universe of Nigerian migrants themselves, these films suggest the possibility of building a bridge between the diverging ways in which Italians and (in this case Nigerian) migrants look at migration. This encounter has the potential of helping Italian directors and intellectuals in deconstructing their hegemonic gaze on migrants and migration phenomena, and has the possibility to inaugurate an healthy as much as needed process of decentralization and provincialization of singularly "Italian" perspectives on migration in Italy. ; Peer reviewed

Economic issues are typically at the heart of migration decisions globally. Disparities in incomes between countries play a major role in motivating people with different levels of skills to migrate from Africa to countries with more developed economies in search of secure livelihoods and improved quality of life. South Africa, an upper middle income country, is the leading migration destination country in sub-Saharan Africa because of its buoyant economy. Research has focused on cross-border migration to South Africa while less attention has been on migration among low-skilled migrants from West Africa. We conducted an ethnographic study of 13 low-skilled Nigerian migrants working as street traders in a flea market in Durban. South Africa. Findings indicate that migrants were motivated to travel to South Africa because of misinformation from migrant returnees as well as friends and family resident in South Africa about their potential for considerable economic success abroad. Some were stuck while planning to use South Africa as a transit country to other countries in Europe and North America. Migrants encountered many challenges that prevented them from achieving their dreams of living a better life overseas and ended up as street traders in the flea market. There they endured a lesser quality of life than in their home country but were ashamed to return home preferring instead to eek out a living, and to request and receive financial support from their families at home. Findings have implications for migration policy highlighting the need for innovative ways of disseminating accurate information to potential migrants and assisting migrants to return home. Further research on migrant integration to host country and reverse remittances will be of great value.

AbstractThis analysis explores the growing attraction of migrants to destinations perceived as better pastures as well as the roots and consequences of international migration, especially for irregular migrants. The findings of two focus group discussions with Nigerian scholars, policymakers, service providers, and members of society suggest: (1) public policy on international migration should consider the social, political, and economic challenges that render many Africans desperate to leave the continent regardless of the harsh realities awaiting them along the way or in a new homeland; (2) given the fundamental rights of individuals to migrate, it is crucial that relevant information about the realities of life in Western host societies (especially newer destinations such as Canada) be made available in immigrant‐sending regions, such as Africa; and (3) efforts to engage the new African diaspora should also prioritize their active participation in building equitable societies in their countries of origin.

L'afflux remarquable des entrepreneurs migrants chinois dans différents pays d'Afrique occidentale au cours des dernières années a été heurtée à une résistance de plus en plus farouche par des entrepreneurs locaux établis. Que le premiers ont un avantage concurrentiel sur ce dernier en raison de traits socio-culturels distinctifs, ou si l'efficacité supposée chinoise est juste une caractéristique de toutes les diasporas mercantiles, est ouvert à la question. Cette étude exploratoire des migrants entrepreneuriales chinois et nigérians au Ghana et au Bénin tente de répondre à cette question. Apparemment, les forces culturels des agents du changement migrants ne sont pas limités à des systèmes de valeurs héritées ou religions, comme une éthique protestante ou le confucianisme, mais ils sont adaptés en permanence et ont inventé de nouveau par des réseaux transnationaux de la migration dans un monde globalisé. Il n'y a aucune preuve d'une prétendue supériorité de la culture d'innovation chinois par rapport aux cultures d'innovation africains des migrants entrepreneuriales. Plutôt, il existe une capacité accrue d'innovation d'une diaspora mercantile en général vis à vis des entrepreneurs locaux, indépendamment de l'origine de la culture nationale dans lequel il est intégré. En outre, la rivalité des entrepreneurs migrants chinois et nigérians dans les marchés africains ne conduit pas nécessairement à la concurrence coupe-gorge souvent suspectée sous l'impact de la mondialisation. Souvent, les deux groupes agissent plutôt complémentaires. Cela contribue, sous certaines conditions, même à la réduction de la pauvreté dans le pays d'accueil.

Legislation concerning immigration draws clear distinctions between legal and irregular forms of migration, yet many migrants in practice are confined to 'in-between' migrant categories. This paper examines how the economic crisis has affected the legal status and mobility of Nigerian migrants in Spain and argues that it is producing new 'semi-legal' migrations and situations. The study is mainly based on ethnographic research and in-depth interviews with 40 Nigerians living in Madrid and Malaga. Findings suggest that there are four new categories of semi-legal migrant appearing amongst Nigerians in Spain: (i) migrants who lost their work in the formal economy and slipped back into irregularity, thus becoming forcibly immobile; (ii) Nigerians using their short-term residence permits to become perpetually mobile as 'tourists' between Spain and other Schengen countries; (iii) those who struggle to obtain the EU long-term residence permits in Spain and also come up against discretionary labour market restrictions when they move to a second member state; and (iv) Nigerian children who remain undocumented due to the long administrative waiting times and are being left in the care of friends while their parents temporarily relocate to other member states to earn money for their families in Spain and Nigeria. All these migrants share in common the fact that their semi-legal status is the result of a Spanish legalisation process which does not function in times of economic recession and is hampered by an overstretched immigration bureaucracy. The paper contributes new empirical insights to the literature on 'status-mobility', 'semi-legality' and the intra-European movement of third-country nationals.

This article analyses the different assumptions about migrants in South Africa, coupled with levels of abuses and marginalisation of black African immigrants, which seem to be a source of depression and emotional pain for them in their strange land. Previous studies did reveal that African migrants face rejection, xenophobic attacks, abuses, marginalisation and socio-economic exclusion through rowdy practices of public officials and perceived institutionalised prejudice in South Africa. However, White Western and Indian-origin migrants are perceived to be better treated with dignity and respect in the same host country. This article investigates the argument that emotional pain suffered by the abused and traumatised Nigerian and other African immigrants could be responsible for the deviant behaviour of some of them in South Africa. Moreover, this article also scrutinises the notion people have that xenophobia in South Africa is Afrophobia. Most South African citizens are of the perception that all African immigrants are criminals, harbingers of disease and drug dealers, whose presence in their country is responsible for all their woes. On the other hand, Nigerian migrants are of the notion that they are the most hated at community and individual levels in South Africa. However, if appropriate social coalition policies are formulated and adopted by the government and all stakeholders, it can be of assistance in tackling the issues concerning citizens' suspicions, migrant abuses, marginalisation and social exclusion, which seem to be hampering the co-existence of citizens and African migrants in South Africa. We should bear in mind that almost all of us in South Africa are from somewhere or the other, as clearly explained in sahistory. org.za. The whites and Indian migrants, whom I call 'earlier alien settlers', are from Europe and Asia, respectively. I call black Bantus from Great lakes in Central Africa, 'earlier alien settlers', whereas the Khoikhoi who originated in the northern area of Botswana as the ...