African governments have been called upon to revisit their migration laws to improve chances of their diaspora contribution to the continent’s economic development.
This call was made during a discussion facilitated by the Kilimanjaro Dialogue Institute (KDI) in Dar es Salaam about ways of fostering contribution levels of the Tanzania Diaspora to the economic development of the country through attracting more foreign direct investments (FDIs).
Some participants observed that at certain times African governments find themselves demanding entry permits from their nationals living abroad. This, they argued, leads to bad taste particularly when some visitors realize that citizens have to obtain entry visas into their own countries. They said this holds back any country’s efforts to attract foreign investment.
Made up of the press and members of an Afro and Pacific group based in Birmingham in the UK, the participants argued the African Diaspora have a big contribution potential to economic development because they have capital besides access to foreign direct investment sources.
According to the Economic Development in Africa Report 2018, the Secretary General of UNCTAD, Mukhisa Kituyi,reveals that African migration can play a key role in the structural transformation of the continent’s economies. Well-managed migration also provides an important means for helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, both in Africa and beyond.
