Local perspectives on transnational relations of Cameroonian migrants

Abstract

International migration is a crucial theme widely discussed in Cameroon, both privately and in public.While individuals have long been travelling, studying and living abroad, the vision of finding a better future elsewhere has gained prominence over the past fifteen years.It has become a popular conviction that Cameroon has little to offer to its economically, intellectually and -arguably -politically aspiring citizens.This development has to be seen in the context of the country's economic and political liberalisation of the 1990s.In line with structural adjustment programmes, government employment has decreased significantly, and with the devaluation of the FCFA in 1994, local buying power has drastically reduced (Konings 1996, Monga 1995).Moreover, the country's democratisation has been accompanied by an increase in corrupt and illegal practices (Eboussi Boulaga & Zinga 2002).As the civil unrest of February 2008 confirms, many Cameroonians are dissatisfied with the country's 'cosmetic democracy' (Nyamnjoh 2002, see also Ngwane 2004).Thus, in the absence of valid prospects of a decent future at home, many Cameroonians have turned to alternatives elsewhere.Most have focused on the West, i.e. the US and Europe, where economic and educational opportunities are thought to be plentiful.However, with increasing restrictions on migration to Western countries, alternative destinations withinAfrica and in the Near and Far East have gained currency.The issue of Cameroonians' urge for international migration and the possible impact of Cameroonian migrants on their home communities was the subject of a collaborative research project involving three anthropologists and ten graduate students of the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and the University of Yaoundé 1 (Cameroon).The project was conducted in Cameroon in July to September 2007 and entailed a one-week preparatory seminar, four weeks of field research and one week of data analysis.

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