Abstract

One of the biggest issues facing humanity in the current century is mass migration from the developing to the industrialized world. While some migrations are legal, many others are not, which poses danger and risk, and are frequently fatal. In Sub-Saharan Africa, emigration through Libya tremendously increased after 2011 following the collapse of Qaddafi’s government, which led to civil war and the absence of a powerful government to enforce law and order in the country. Even though thousands of migrants die every year trying to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, many African youths still scramble to emigrate from the continent using both legal and illegal means. This study analyses how economic hardships and political instability act as push factors for emigration from Cameroon, as well as the risks faced during the emigration process. The paper also addresses the challenges faced by Cameroonian immigrants in their host country and the socioeconomic impact of emigration on Cameroon and concludes that push factors are more influential than pull factors in driving irregular immigration from Cameroon.