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West and Central Africa, Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Monthly Regional Update - Oct 2019

Countries
Burkina Faso
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Sources
IOM
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Regional Flow Monitoring Network

33 Flow Monitoring Points (FMPs) and 11 Information Points (IPs) are currently operational in seven countries.

In Burkina Faso, data is collected at five FMPs located at strategic transit points throughout the country. In October 2019, an average of 1,734 individuals were observed crossing the FMPs daily – a slight increase of 1 per cent from the September figures (1,709). This represents the first increase in numbers observed since April 2019. The majority of travellers (60%) were adult men, while 24 per cent were adult women and 16 per cent were children. Seven per cent of individuals were children under five and 6 per cent were pregnant women.

Across all FMPs in the country, a large majority of travellers had departed from Burkina Faso (83%) followed by Niger (6%) and Togo (6%). The three primary destinations of flows were Côte d’Ivoire (47%, a 7 p.p. increase from September), Niger (27%) and Burkina Faso (17%). In numbers similar to that of previous months, seasonal migration (35%), shortterm local movements (31%) and longterm economic migration (31%) were the main reasons for travel. The share of Burkinabè migrants remained stable at 62 per cent of travellers, as did the share of Nigerien nationals (26%).

In Chad, data is collected at FMPs in Zouarké, Faya (in northern Chad), Rig-Rig (located close to the Niger border) and Sarh (situated in southern Chad). The Kalait FMP was definitively closed in June 2019.

Over the reporting period, an average of 707 individuals per day were recorded at the four FMPs, a 5 per cent decrease when compared to September 2019 (745). This represents the first decrease in the numbers observed since May 2019, which may be explained by growing instability in the Miski region and the state of emergency imposed in the Tibesti region discouraging travel in northern Chad.

The primary reasons for travel were short-term economic movements (representing 46% of flows) and long-term economic migration (33%). The share of seasonal migrants observed amongst travellers was 11 per cent.

The majority of travellers (68%) were adult men, while the share of women was 22 per cent (a 3 p.p. increase from September). Children represented 10 per cent of travellers observed, a 2 per cent decrease when compared to the previous reporting period. Five per cent of travellers were children under five years old, while 4 per cent were pregnant women, 5 per cent were elderly and 6 per cent were living with a mental or physical handicap. The vast majority of identified individuals (97%) were Chadian nationals, with their share increasing by 2 per cent from the previous reporting period, while an incidental share of travellers were CAR nationals (2%).

In Guinea, data is collected at three FMPs located in Boundoufourdou (along the border with Senegal), Kouremalé and Nafadji (both along the border with Mali), which observe flows to and from Mali and Senegal.

In October 2019, a daily average of 1,416 individuals was observed at the FMPs. This represents a 7 per cent decrease when compared to September 2019 (1,516). This reduction in flows may be explained by socio-economic unrest observed during the reporting period, which may have discouraged travel to Guinea from neighbouring countries. It may also be linked to the asphalting of a new road linking Bamako to Djjoulafoundou and bypassing the Nafadji FMP.

When compared to other countries in the region, larger shares of the observed migrants were adult women (31%) and children (25%, a 3 p.p. increase from September), including 7 per cent of children under five years old. In contrast, a much smaller number (44%) of travellers identified in Guinea compared to other countries were adult men. The largest share of migrants observed (69%, a 3 p.p. increase when compared to the previous reporting period) were Guinean nationals, while the rest originated from a variety of countries in the West and Central Africa region (including 7% from Mali, 4% from Sierra Leone and 3% from Senegal).

The primary reasons for travel were longterm economic migration (47%), shortterm movements (40%) and seasonal migration (8%). The majority of individuals observed (55%) were leaving the country; most outgoing travellers (primarily observed in Kouremalé and Nafadji) were headed to Mali (26%), while Senegal, the second-most mentioned destination (mainly by travellers in Boundoufourdou) accounted for 24 per cent of total flows.

In Mali, the Gogui FMP, located on the border between Mali and Mauritania, observes mobility flows between the two countries, while the Wabaria (in the city of Gao), Timbuktu, Inhalid (in Kidal region), Place Kidal and Ménaka FMPs mainly capture travellers heading towards Algeria or travelling within Mali.

The other FMPs (Bamako, Sévaré, Heremakono, Benena) are major transit stations dispatched throughout the country. Average daily flows observed in October 2019 decreased by 9 per cent when compared to September (307 to 280 individuals observed on average each day). A large majority of observed individuals (83%) were adult men (a 5 p.p. increase from the previous month), while 14 per cent were adult women (a 5 p.p. decrease) and 3 per cent were children. Malian nationals were the most prevalent nationality group amongst travellers observed at FMPs in Mali (representing 39% of travellers). Guinean (16%) and Ivorian (7%) nationals were other well-represented nationality groups.

In terms of destination of travellers, the majority of individuals were travelling within Mali (52%). Algeria, the foremost destination until March 2019, in October 2019 ranked fourth, accounting for 8 per cent of flows. Other significant destinations of flows were Burkina Faso (18%) and Mauritania (16%).

A large majority of migrants (89%) were undertaking long-term economic migration. Six per cent of travellers were seasonal migrants, while 5 per cent were conducting short-term movements.
DTM in Mauritania carried out a Migrants Presence assessment in Nouakchott from May to June 2019 to evaluate the number of Sub-Saharan African migrants present in the city. The exercise found that approximately 84,000 migrants were residing in the city. Most migrants (69%) were male, while 31 per cent were female.

While most Sub-Saharan migrants were Senegalese (34%), their share was much smaller than that of Senegalese migrants in Nouadhibou. Other major nationalities present in Nouakchott were Guinea (28%), Mali (22%) and Côte d’Ivoire (4%).

Additionally, Round 2 of the Migrants Presence exercise was conducted in Nouadhibou in April 2019, identifying around 32,000 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa living in the city. Sixty-eight percent of migrants were adult men (a 13% increase from Round 1 findings), while 32 per cent were adult women (a 10% increase) and 23 per cent were children. The majority of migrants identified (61%) were Senegalese nationals, followed by Malian (14%) and Guinean (13%) nationals.

In Nigeria, the Sokoto FMP captures flows between Nigeria and Niger (mainly to Maradi, Tahoua and Agadez) with observed travellers split between those departing Nigeria for Niger and those arriving to Nigeria from Niger. The Kano FMP captures flows between Nigeria and Niger, Chad, and, in smaller numbers, Cameroon. Observed flows are mainly composed of outflows from Nigeria to Niger, or internal travel within Nigeria.

The number of individuals observed at the Kano and Sokoto FMPs in October 2019 (1,192) was exactly the same as the number observed the previous month.

The majority of observed individuals (65%) were adult men, while 19 per cent were adult women and 16 per cent were children, including 5 per cent of children under five. Notably, 13 per cent of travellers were elderly (aged 60 or older). Travellers were primarily carrying out shortterm movements (41%), long-term economic migration (39%) or seasonal migration (14%).

The main nationalities observed were Nigerian (54%), Nigerien (33%) and Chadian (5%) nationals. The majority of observed individuals were travelling to Niger (63%), while 35 per cent were travelling to Nigeria and 1 per cent to Chad and Cameroon, respectively. Similarly, the majority of travellers (65%) were coming from Nigeria, while 34 per cent were travelling from Niger.
In Niger, the Arlit and Séguédine FMPs primarily observe movements to and from Algeria and Libya, respectively.

Three of the FMPs (Dan Issa, Dan Barto and Magaria) are located along the border between Niger and Nigeria. The FMP at Tahoua, situated in central Niger, between the Tillabery region in the east, Nigeria in the south and the Agadez region in the north, was established to help understand internal movement flows. Finally, the Madama FMP, located on the Libyan border, was set up to capture flows that were not caught by the Séguédine FMP because of the proliferation of bypass routes.

An average of 1,657 individuals were observed daily at the seven FMPs in October 2019, representing an 11 per cent decrease as compared to September 2019 (1,836). The majority (68%) were adult men, while 20 per cent were adult women and 12 per cent were children.
The share of children under five was 5 per cent. Four per cent of individuals crossing through FMPs were pregnant women, 2 West and Central Africa [ page 3 ] per cent were elderly and 1 per cent were living with a physical or mental disability.

The majority of flows observed were internal movements (53%). This represents a slight decrease (of 2 p.p.) from the previous month (down from 55%). Meanwhile, outgoing flows represented 25 per cent of all flows, a 3 per cent decrease from the previous reporting period, and incoming flows accounted for 22 per cent of flows, a 4 per cent increase. The primary reasons for migration were longterm economic migration (39%), seasonal migration (35%, a 2% increase from the previous month) and short-term movements (26%, a 4% decrease from the previous month).

Niger and Nigeria were both the main countries of provenance, although the share of travellers coming from locations in Niger dropped by 10 percentage points (from 89% to 79% of flows), while the number of migrants travelling from Nigeria grew by 9 per cent (from 1% to 10% of flows). Similarly, Niger as a destination dwindled to 76 per cent of flows (a 4 p.p. decrease), while 9 per cent of travellers were headed for Nigeria. In addition, 4 per cent of flows were headed towards Libya, a 4 per cent decrease since September 2019.

The majority of individuals observed at the seven FMPs were Nigerien nationals (83%), with the next most-represented nationality being Nigerians (10%).

In Senegal, data is collected at Flow Monitoring Points in Kidira (situated on along the border with Mali) and Moussala (located close to the Malian and Guinean borders).

Between September and October 2019, the number of individuals observed at the two FMPs almost doubled, going from 193 to 374. This astounding increase is due to the occurrence of the religious of Magal, one of the largest religious pilgrimages in the West African region.

Most travellers (58%) were adult men (a 2 p.p. increase compared to September), while 31 per cent were adult women. Ten per cent were children, representing a 3 p.p. decrease since the previous reporting period, including 4 per cent who were under five years old. Additionally, 2 per cent of travellers were elderly and 3 per cent were pregnant women.

In a stark reversal from the previous reporting period, the largest proportion of travellers indicated conducting longterm migration (60%), while the next largest groups reported performing short-term movements (33%) and tourism (4%). This change may be linked to the tightening of controls and stricter migration policies along the Algeria-Mali border, which have driven migrants to take alternative migration routes, including routes crossing Senegal.

The majority of observed travellers (77%) had travelled from Mali. This represents a 8 percentage point drop from the previous month. On the other hand, the share of travellers who arrived from Senegal and The Gambia increased by 7 percentage points (up to 18% of flows) and 1 per centage point (up to 5%), respectively.

Meanwhile, the share of migrants travelling to Senegal witnessed an decrease of 4 per cent (to reach 73%), while a larger share of travellers was headed to Mali (21%, an 5 p.p. increase compared to the previous month). In addition, 5 per cent of travellers were going to The Gambia.

While the majority of observed individuals (45%, a 5 p.p. decrease since September) were Malian nationals, the share of Senegalese travellers grew significantly in October (42%, a 7 p.p. increase from the previous reporting period). The increase in identified Senegalese nationals may be linked to the Magal pilgrimage, during which Senegalese nationals travel from throughout the West Africa region to the city of Touba in Senegal. The remaining travellers were from a variety of West African countries, including The Gambia, Nigeria, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Burkina Faso.