Factors that encourage increase in international migration among younger persons in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Youth migration has great consequences on the economies, populations, and social structures of both the country of origin and the family. The following objectives were stated to guide the study; identification of the factors that propel youth international migration in Nigeria; the perceived dangers of youth international migration on the home country and the youth already migrated abroad. An in-depth interview guide was used in conjunction with the Interpretive Phenomenology Analysis research design (IPA) to collect data from participants for the qualitative analysis. 15 youths from Enugu State, Nigeria, participated in the. The results of this qualitative study were analyzed thematically. Findings identify variables, such as poor governance, insecurity, poverty, and unemployment, among others, as factors that promote youth international migration. The study also showed that young people are aware of the risks associated with international migration; the majority of them were still willing to take the chance of doing so. It is recommended that the government of Nigeria and relevant stakeholders should develop and implement measures to address poverty, poor governance, insecurity, and unemployment, as well as to educate the youth, in order to discourage migration.