South-South Migration Dynamics between Mozambique and Malawi: The Impact of Climate Change and Socioeconomic Factors (1980-2023)

Tomás Cebola, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)
Roberto Luiz do Carmo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

Abstract: This project aims to analyze the transformations in South-South international migration, focusing on Malawian immigrants in Mozambique from 1980 to 2023. It argues that while the early 1980s saw the civil war in Mozambique (1976-1992) shape the migration of Mozambicans to Malawi and their return after the end of the war (1992), current migration has increasingly been driven by economic and environmental factors affecting the world, resulting in "climate migration" (Renaud et al., 2007). With the growing presence of multinational corporations and mega-projects exploiting natural resources such as coal, gas, oil, gold, and precious stones (Patrício, 2016; Mosca; Selemane, 2011; Raimundo, 2011), Mozambique has witnessed an increase in immigrant flows, including Malawians, who constitute the largest group of immigrants in the country (INE, 2017). However, the hypothesis is raised that economic attractions as a migratory driver should be analyzed in conjunction with the increasingly frequent environmental disasters in the region, including cyclones such as IDAI (2019) and the constant cycles of floods and droughts, which have led to migration of affected populations in both countries (Fauvet, 2023; World Bank, 2023). Thus, the central question to be analyzed is: To what extent do climate change and environmental disasters in the region interact with other socioeconomic factors in migration decisions?

Keywords: International Migration, Population, Environment, and Climate Change, Population and Development, Population Policies

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