African migrants amongst leading donors to the continent, UN official

African migrants are the second largest donors to Africa after development partners, a Senior United Nations official has said.

Dr. Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa noted that African migrants sent back 71 billion U.S. dollars last year, over four percent of the continents Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the amount is likely to increase in the coming years.

He said that one in every six university graduates finds a way out from their country of origin, making Africa's migrants the most educated in the world.

"We are in the process of developing an equal opportunity global legislation to enable all countries

to treat migrants with human dignity," Lopez said on Wednesday at an Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the ongoing 27th African Union summit in Kigali Rwanda.

He said that even though Africans are forced to immigrate to other continents due to lack of opportunities, migration is an international problem that calls for global attention.

Lopez observed that conflicts provoking heavy casualties have risen significantly in the last six years on the continent mainly due to terrorism and marginalization of some communities from governance.

Lopez noted that the demographic boon in Africa where majority of youths are currently jobless, should be seen as part of its potential.

"Many countries in Europe are currently confronted with deficit of labor," he said.

According to the data by the United Nations, 250 million Africans currently live outside their countries of origin and the stock of Africans in this figure is 8.5 percent. Endit