The Drivers of African Migrants to Europe and the Mediterranean Sea Death Trap

Abstract

The migration of Africans to Europe has witnessed a sharp rise in recent times with the aim of searching for greener pasture, safety and lucrative jobs to improve their standard of living. The paper examines the issues that serve as drivers which prompt Africans to leave their countries of origin to settle in Europe. The migrants’ journey is parlous and some of them end up dying in the Mediterranean Sea before reaching their cherished destinations. The paper used secondary data from books, journal articles and United Nations publications. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The study is guided by the World System Theory. The findings of the paper showed that Africans migration to Europe is driven by the globalization forces controlled by the core states that impoverishes African countries, which is an indication of another world order shaped by imperialism. So also, maladministration, corruption, abject poverty, insecurity and unemployment are endemic issues that force Africans to leave for Europe in search of better living. The paper also found that in 2022 alone 2, 367 African migrants died in the Mediterranean Sea. Based on the findings, the paper recommends that the European Union and the African Union should work together to improve good governance in Africa, and reduce the global economic inequities, that will lead to economic prosperity and peace thereby curtailing the migration crisis.