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Emigration has taken place from the very beginning of human history and the basic need behind it is still the same; improve life conditions and increase in individual’s utility. Times have changed and the emigration process developed from necessity for survival to necessity for better life. People emigrate for different reasons and the analysis of the factors and effects of human emigration has become a research topic from the beginning of the 20th century (Borjas, 2008).
In an era of rapid globalization, labour emigration has evolved into a dynamic phenomenon with respect to the multitude of factors contributing to the movement of unparalleled numbers of emigrants across immense geographical trajectories. Since the beginning of this century, emigration has for a variety of interrelated reasons become prominent in international economic management and trade relations. The fundamental human rights of emigrants, especially of the vulnerable women, children and undocumented emigrants are increasingly critical aspects in the discourse on international migration. The challenge now is to make increasing globalization work to maximize the opportunities of emigration and minimize its drawbacks (Hossain, 2001).
It is a matter of record that migration was not included in the 2000 Millennium Development Goals framework. The reasons for this are not entirely clear. One possible explanation is that development practitioners were, at the time, rather skeptical about the purported contribution of migration to development. Two problems loomed large in their field of view. First, the word migration itself had strongly negative connotations. It was supposed to be all about border control and the repression of movement, a barrier in the way of migrants from developing countries seeking access to labour markets in developed countries. Second, when migration pathways were available, there was rather paradoxically a high degree of concern about the so-called brain drain (Appave and Sinha, 2017).
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognises the positive contribution of emigrants towards inclusive growth and sustainable development. It further recognises that emigration is a multi-dimensional reality of major relevance for the development of countries of origin, transit and destination, which requires coherent and comprehensive responses. International cooperation is critical to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration involving full respect for human rights and the humane treatment of migrants and refugees (UN DESA, 2015).
Labour emigration is a current and historical reality in Africa, impacting directly on the economies and societies of African countries in various ways. Labour emigration policies and legislation that incorporate appropriate labour standards also benefit labour emigrants, members of their families, and can have a positive impact on society. On-going processes of regional economic integration in Africa through Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are increasingly taking account of managed cross border labour movements that lead to better labour allocation within larger labour markets. RECs constitute a key factor for facilitating co-operation in the area of labour mobility at the regional level and for promoting economic development (AU Executive Council Ninth Ordinary Session, 2006).
With the rise of global corporation in the 1950s and 1960s, the world economy became increasingly globalized and interdependent. Matching the trend, international migration as a key dynamic factor simultaneously grew in volume and significance. With the passage of time the trend of emigration, meanwhile, has undergone transformation. Labour emigration now occupies the dominant position. International labour emigration has become an integral part of the global economy. Almost all countries are involved in the emigration process in one way or another. Some are participating as labour sending countries, some as receiving and others as transit countries (Castle et al., 2014).