Stemming the Migration Flow in Africa

The Libyan War may have greatly increased the number to an overwhelming crowd of people fleeing the continent over the last decade, but a mass exodus of people via legal and illegal migration routes has been taking place on the continent for sometime.

It is even more apparent when you consider that Libya has a thriving human trafficking base where people seeking to flee the continent use as a way out. War stands side by side other serious situations to consider like poverty, economic development and infrastructure, Human rights and social welfare.

Even when peace is finally restored to Libya, the Illegal trafficking channels will still thrive unless the underlying issues are addressed head on. Rather than the reactionary approach to the migrant crisis, the EU and US can do a lot more for the continent by taking proactive steps to cut the need for embarking on such a dangerous trip.

The major interventions badly needed on the continent are not military, but economic. The 'big' nations must adopt the same zeal put into showcasing power and postitions of strength to actually benefitting the lives of citizens in Africa. Schemes like AGOA and others need to be amplified with a larger coverage to benefit a lot more people and drive inclusive growth between Africans and the rest of the World.

The ‘we owe them nothing’ mindset needs to be dropped and the cost of a never ending migration wave must be juxtaposed with the cost of creating opportunities for growth and stability on the continent.