Migration, youth, and land in West Africa: making the connections work for inclusive development

This paper presents the results of a short-term research project conducted in 2017/2018 on the various ways in which migration and land dynamics in West Africa are intertwined. Contrary to much conventional (policy) thinking in the European Union (EU) today, our point of departure is not that migration is the problem to be solved – nor that (access to) land is the straightforward means to discouraging migration. Drawing on local case studies in four West African countries, this research aims to shed light on the various relationships between migration and land, and to analyze to what extent they may contribute to or obstruct (local) inclusive and sustainable development in Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Benin. In doing so, we aim to offer food for thought concerning possible ways for making the connection between migration and land more fruitful and productive for as many people as possible, especially in relation to the opportunities and constraints facing different categories of West African youth.

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This article belongs to the special issue "Land governance and (im)mobility: exploring the nexus between land acquisition, displacement and migration". Land 2019, 8, 60.

Author(s) / editor(s)

M. Kaag, G. Baltissen, G. Steel, and A. Lodder

About the author(s) / editor(s)

Mayke Kaag (ASCL) is a social anthropologist interested in processes of change and continuity in West and West-Central Africa. Her current research focuses primarily on African transnational relations, including land issues, transnational Islamic charities and engagements with the diaspora.

Posted on 12 April 2019, last modified on 12 April 2019