On January 7, the members of the African Union met to address the issue of refugees. The top 10 countries who take in the most refugees are all found within Africa and the Middle East, and together they host more than 21 million refugees. Sudan and Ethiopia have some of the highest number of refugees, which has been causing problems within the countries. When countries take in refugees, the citizens have to share their resources and jobs with the refugees which leads to unwanted competition. With citizens and refugees competing for jobs, both sides often get frustrated because there are not enough jobs to meet the high demand. To combat the refugee crisis in Africa, the AU members have formulated a plan to create an AU passport which will create open borders and allow refugees to cross lines without problems. Much like the European Union, citizens will be able to travel or establish a new life in any countries that are a part of the union. Creating a continental passport would not only make the refugee crisis less economically taxing for the host countries, but also allow tribes who had been separated by borders to reunite. There is conflict within African countries because of the ethnic divide which leads to disputes about who should rule. However, if the countries who are members of the AU operate under the rules established by all of the countries, it will be easier to put down conflicts because there will be a higher authority that can tell the countries what to do. While many African countries do not have a national identity and identify more with their tribe, with open borders, there could be an increase in nationalism. As more people of one ethnicity enter a country, the majority starts to be overpowered by the minority which threatens their power. Similar to what occurred after the formation the European Union members, African states may start to reject outsiders because they fear their country is being taken over by others. While the creation of open borders in Africa will begin to solve the refugee crisis, there are other possible outcomes that the AU needs to consider.
Hi Mr. Bailey. I understand I am supposed to focus on the Northern Africa region and not the whole African continent, but I really wanted to write about this subject. If it isn’t okay with you, just let me know and I will be glad to rewrite an analysis post on one of my other articles. Thanks 🙂