Introduction

At a time when an unwarranted fear of the African migrant in the Sahel and across the Mediterranean Sea had taken over public narratives on immigration, the first edition of the Africa Migration Report was published to change dominant discourses. The imperative was clear: we must “protect the millions of people who have been forcibly displaced by conflict and disaster and create opportunities for Pan-African solidarity rather than constrain them” (African Union and IOM, 2020:10). This urgency remains as critical today as it was then, because African people are on the move across the continent in search of both safety and opportunities. Beyond disasters and conflicts, migration has always been “woven into the DNA of African communities, economies and societies” (ibid.:3).

Sustainable Development Goals:

Life on Land