La ruée vers l'Europe : la jeune Afrique en route vers le Vieux Continent

by Stephen Smith

L’Europe vieillit et se dépeuple. L’Afrique déborde de jeunes et de vie. Une migration de masse va se produire. Son ampleur et ses conditions constituent l’un des plus grands défis du xxie  siècle.
L’Union européenne compte aujourd’hui 510 millions d’habitants vieillissants  ; l’Afrique 1,25 milliard, dont quarante pour cent ont moins de quinze ans. En 2050, 450 millions d’Européens feront face à 2,5 milliards d’Africains. D’ici à 2100, trois personnes sur quatre venant au monde naîtront au sud du Sahara.
L’Afrique «  émerge  ». En sortant de la pauvreté absolue, elle se met en marche. Dans un premier temps, le développement déracine  : il donne à un plus grand nombre les moyens de partir. Si les Africains suivent l’exemple d’autres parties du monde en développement, l’Europe comptera dans trente ans entre 150 et 200 millions d’Afro-Européens, contre 9 millions à l’heure actuelle.
Une pression migratoire de cette ampleur va soumettre l’Europe à une épreuve sans précédent, au risque de consommer la déchirure entre ses élites cosmopolites et ses populistes nativistes. L’État-providence sans frontières est une illusion ruineuse. Vouloir faire de la Méditerranée la douve d’une «  forteresse Europe  » en érigeant autour du continent de l’opulence et de la sécurité sociale des remparts – des grillages, un mur d’argent, une rançon versée aux États policiers en première ligne pour endiguer le flot – corrompt les valeurs européennes.
L’égoïsme nationaliste et l’angélisme humaniste sont uniment dangereux. Guidé par la rationalité des faits, cet essai de géographie humaine assume la nécessité d’arbitrer entre intérêts et idéaux.

Genres: Politics, Africa, Sociology, International Relations, World History, History, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2018

About the author

Stephen William Smith est un anthropologue, biographe, historien, journaliste, écrivain et professeur d'études africaines à l'université Duke. De nationalité américaine, il a été journaliste spécialiste de l'Afrique ou éditeur pour différents organes de presse français dont Libération, Le Monde, Radio France International et Reuters.

Stephen William Smith is an American anthropologist, biographer, editor, historian, journalist, and writer. He is a former editor of the French daily newspaper Libération and the former deputy editor of the foreign desk at Le Monde. For many years he worked as a traveling correspondent for Radio France International and Reuters News Agency in West and Central Africa.

Stephen Smith is a leading expert on contemporary Africa. After thirty years as a journalist at Libération and Le Monde, he is now Professor of African Studies at Duke University.

Reviews

[I Read, Therefore I Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stephen Smith is Professor of African Studies at Duke University and spent 30 years as a journalist in Africa. His book is strong on the human geography of Africa, particularly the problems of its youthful population, the tensions with gerocentric political structures and the levers encouraging migration to Europe and America but is weak on how to address this and at times he offers up literary tangents that give colour but no facts.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would benefit from a clearer and more fleshed-out thesis.

[Luca Baldini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il testo si pone un difficile obiettivo: raccontare l'Africa. Il punto di vista è quello demografico. L'interesse dell'autore sta nel mettere in luce i profondi processi in atto nel continente, che porteranno l'Africa nei prossimi decenni a un ritmo di crescita demografica impressionante.
Il testo è ricchissimo di spunti, anche troppi, tanto che si fatica a seguire il ragionamento (c'è un chiaro ragionamento?).
A tratti confusionario e poco chiaro. Certe volte si parla di eventi e situazioni che l'autore non ha l'accortezza di introdurre per i non addetti ai lavori. Cosa che stride con la ridondanza di alcuni concetti.
Interessante, ma sembrano appunti sparsi in attesa di essere risistemati.

[Aidan Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An impressive, succinct and punchy, survey of the forces at work, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, which seem likely to lead to huge numbers of migrants to Europe.

The author charts a number of potential scenarios for how this may play out in the years to come, avoiding cliches and the pat answers of opposing voices who either portray immigration as a solution to demographic challenges or as a grave threat.

He does a good job of capturing why young people may feel drawn to migrate and highlights a number of issues in African countries that seem to stand as real obstacles to young people seeing a path to a good future at home. He also discusses the long history of population movements both within africa and internationally.

[João Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deep and comprehensive social, cultural, economic and demographic analysis of the Sub-Saharan Africa young, very young, and massive, very massive, population, backed by numbers and statistical reports from many organisations and institutions. And how it will affect Europe by 2050, when "a quarter of Europe’s population will be Afro-Europeans."

[Pioska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Étude de démographie intéressante et des statistiques pertinentes. Une étude riche sur l’Afrique sa populations, des comparaisons, et des scénarios avancés quant à l’avenir de cette « rué ». Une analyse finalement passée, présente et future de ces flux, qui aide à y voir plus clair dans ce « chaos migratoire », exprimant aussi des réalités.

[Steven Bragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on the massive population growth in Africa and how it will impact migrant flows to Europe. While the research is first rate, there are too many literary references - I would have preferred to see more numerical analysis. Be sure to read the unusually detailed footnotes, and the bibliography provides many leads for where to look for more information.

[Roger H · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai beaucoup aimé cet essai car l’auteur remet en question plusieurs hypothèses qui continuent à avoir la cote de l’opinion publique sans que cette dernière ne se pose la question si ces hypothèses tiennent toujours. Le continent noir demeure encore une énigme pour beaucoup de gens.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts really well, outlines well the points. However, the conclusion comes too soon and is unexpectedly uninspired.

[Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smith's book looks at the population growth in Africa, and the increasing number of young people, and the increased migration from Africa to Europe. Early chapters discuss the pressures created in African societies facing population growth, urbanization, and increased numbers of youths. The book doesn't really talk about migration, the experience of migration, or the European migration crisis itself, as the cover might suggest. The book also felt a bit disjointed; infrequently cited, and strange sources for citations (e.g. Le Monde for population growth statistics). A lot of the references refer to trends from the 1970s and 1990s, and sections on older ideas, events or even films (e.g. the 1985 film 'Out of Africa') seem a bit out of place. As such its more of a polemic, albeit one that has some interesting points, than a piece of research.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

.