Rethinking African Refugees and Forced Migration

Abstract

The magnitude of the African refugee crisis remains as daunting as ever. Yet, it does not receive the attention it deserves either in the popular media or from the international community preoccupied by “more important” world events or overwhelmed by donor fatigue. The occasional media attention given to the subject rarely goes beyond superficial stereotypes as the refugee crisis is attributed to Africa’s numerous alleged pathologies. Pride of place is given to “tribal” conflicts and civil wars perpetrated by ruthless warlords, militia groups, and inept governments. African governments are uniformly depicted as corrupt and authoritarian, and accused of abusing their citizens’ human rights and running down their countries’ economies resulting in multitudes of innocent civilians fleeing to neighboring countries. Even the African environment is not spared: drought is depicted as the source of hunger and famine that drives hundreds of thousands of emaciated people away from their homes and communities in search of food.