According to a migration profile of Mali released today by the International Organization of Migration (IOM), the landlocked West African country is essentially a country of emigration, although increasing numbers of irregular migrants appear to transit through Mali on their way to Europe via the Maghreb countries.
According to the report, demographic growth, poverty, increased unemployment and difficult climatic conditions including recurring droughts continue to push many Malians to migrate internally from rural to urban areas, within the West African region and beyond. Based on a 2000 census, the IOM report estimates the number of Malian abroad to be in excess of 1,5 million, representing around 13 percent of Mali’s total population. Out of these emigrants, 32 percent are living and working in Côte d’Ivoire, 28 percent in Burkina Faso, 10 percent in Guinea, 6 percent in Nigeria and 5 percent in Ghana.
"The remainder are thought to be employed in OECD countries, primarily in industry, construction; agriculture and fishing," the report says. "Most of them have a low level of education."
However, the IOM report notes that Mali is confronted with a certain brain drain, since 15 percent of Malian university graduates emigrated during the 1995-2005 period. In the health sector, 23 percent of Malian doctors and 15 percent of nurses found employment in 9 developed countries, with France remaining the favored destination.
Despite the country’s political commitment in favor of regional integration, the report notes that immigration to Mali remains very limited with an estimated 164,000 migrants representing just 1,4 percent of the total population in 2005. Immigration to Mali is mostly regional, with migrants coming from Burkina Faso (23 %), Ghana (13 %), Guinea (10 %), Benin (9 %) and Niger (8 %).
Source: Afrol News
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