Interrelationships between Internal and International Migration in Egypt: A Pilot Study.
Abstract
This is a pilot study that explores the interrelationships between internal and international migration in Egypt. The project involves both desk study (statistical data and literature) and new primary research based on field interviews in Upper Egypt and Cairo. Fieldwork took place in two locations; one in Upper Egypt (Beni-Madi Village in Beni-Sueif governorate, 120 kilometers far from Cairo); and the other one is located in Cairo (Imbaba, district/suburb). A well-known migration stream is observed between the two points.
The fieldwork assessed a number of key questions:
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Do different categories of people engage in internal and international migration?
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Do migrants initially migrate internally before going abroad? Or is the sequence the other way round?
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Are internal and international migration simultaneously deployed within the same family/household by different members?
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What are the effects and impacts of the two kinds of migration (eg. on remittances, poverty alleviation, return, family dynamics etc.)?
The conclusion drawn from the study is that Egyptian internal and international migration are deployed to escape poverty and mal economic development. Migration is a survival strategy; it is more to decrease hazards than to maximize benefits.
Citation
DRC Research Reports, Sussex, UK, DRC on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty, 101 pp.
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