Ivory coast, a welcoming land?

Ivory coast had long been a welcoming country for migrants. Indeed, its cocoa and coffee plantations were prosperous and the country needed workforce. Then, people from Burkina Faso, Malians and others Africans came to work there, participating to the economy of the all region.

In 2002, the first attacks from the rebels abolished that era. There was no more free circulation of people. While before those attacks you just had to show your ID card to enter the country, fear of foreigners was established. Then, when migrants did not go back to their country of origin by their own decision, they were called back by the governments. Two civil wars followed. During that period, Ivory coast was not attractive for migrants.

In 2011, the conflict ended with the arrest of Laurent Gbagbo and the election of Alassane Ouattara.  Because, Ivory Coast is more or less steady politically, it is again an attractive land for migrants. Indeed, even if the situation is not perfect, it has improved since 2011 and it is worse in the neighboring countries. Moreover, Ivory Coast has a dynamic economy. Then, in 2013, the country had 12% of immigrants.

Floriane

Sources :

• https://www.iom.int/cms/en/sites/iom/home/where-we-work/africa-and-the-middle-east/central-and-west-africa/cocircte-divoire.html
• http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/23/world/life-in-ivory-coast-once-an-oasis-now-unsettles-immigrants.html
• http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/Cote_Profile_2009.pdf
• http://en.wikipedia.org