Africans arriving by rickety fishing boats to the Canary Islands,
risking the passage across the Straits of Gibraltar or washed up
on the Italian island of Lampedusa are familiar examples of the
recent growth in migration from Africa to Europe. There is a dark
side of migration in human trafficking, but the picture of a continent
on the move also includes highly skilled professionals from
Nigeria and Ghana who seek employment in universities and other
professions in South Africa. On the positive side migrant remittances
are a major source of income in many sub-Saharan African
countries, helping to sustain the lives of poor home communities.
A major challenge now facing sub-Saharan Africa is how to attract
skilled emigrants back for national development.