MiTra|WA

West Africa is a region of migration par excellence. However, contrary to the popular image of a dominant West African-European migration nexus, 90% of international migration from West Africa takes place within the region (IOM, 2021). In addition to these estimated 8 million international migrants, millions of people migrate within their country, temporally, seasonally or permanently.

Analyses of these mobilities either tend to focus on social and economic impacts in migrants' places of origin or at their destinations. By applying a translocal livelihood and mobility approach on the household level, our project focusses on the interlinkages and dynamics between these places. Hereby, we seek to better understand the drivers, practices, structures and processes of rural-urban and cross-border migration and their interconnected impacts for rural and urban settings. Focusing on Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria, we emphasize challenges on social, political and ecological levels such as land use and changing gender relations, the growth of urban agglomerations and environmental change.