Postcolonial African Migration to the West

Head of the Department of Social Work in an interview about his book on the topic of African migration to the West

„Postcolonial African migration to the West is not only a spatial movement in search of material and physical security but also an expression of the mimetic desire for being by imitating the West or 'whitening' oneself against the background of the dehumanizing historical legacies of slavery, colonialism, and Western dominance. It is a flight from oneself, from perceived inadequacies. To migrate to the West is an expression of the desire for being, not through detachment from the 'fascinating' West but rather through adoration and imitation of its lifestyle, beauty ideals, and soft and hard power, and by living in the West.

The model (the West) builds ubiquitous anti-migrant physical and virtual fences, which the imitator tries to overcome. The more the model re-strengthens these fences, the more the imitator tries to scale them. The anti-migrant fences are the meeting point of the model’s perceived superiority, admirability, and desirability on the one hand, and on the other hand the imitator’s inferiority complex and inner tension between the paradoxical desire for detachment from the model and its passionate imitation at the same time. This book argues that African migration to the West will continue even in the absence of poverty, conflicts, and climate change because it is also about the mimetic desire for being.“ - Belachew Gebrewold

In the following interview, Belachew Gebrewold answers some questions about this topic:

Recently your book "Postcolonial African Migration to the West: A Mimetic Desire for Being" was published. What motivated you to write this book?

Migration policy and the causes of migration, especially in Africa, have occupied me for a long time. I was not entirely satisfied with the common explanation of the causes of migration in the post-colonial world. Many economic or security policy explanations as causes of migration are important, but do not explain everything. That's why I wanted to look for reasons for migration beyond that. The book is the result of years of research.

What is your expertise in assessing African migration to the West?

I have been studying different causes of migration since I came to Europe. My main question in this book is: How has the colonial and postcolonial experience affected contemporary migration to the West? My main argument is that postcolonial migration from Africa (or from other regions) to the West takes place independently of poverty, conflict or climate change. In this book, I present a new theoretical approach to migration studies. In addition to the material causes of migration, the immaterial causes must also be examined.

What is the significance of migration research for Social Work?

Migration is an important area for Social Work. Social Work needs to understand why people migrate, where they go, what happens to them, how their rights are respected, how they are treated, etc.  Therefore, a proper understanding of migration and the living conditions of migrants is important for Social Work both as an academic discipline and as a profession.

What relevance does the topic have for our Social Work students? Do you address and discuss this topic with your students in courses?

Migration is one of the focal points of teaching and research in our department. Several people deal with this topic.

In the bachelor's program Social Work, students deal with this topic as part of a separate course. In the master's program Social Work, Social Policy & Management, it is dealt with as part of social policy.

Migration, integration and inclusion are important Social Work and social policy topics. Many bachelor's and master's theses are written on this topic. Some of our graduates also work in this field.