Africa is commonly regarded as a "continent on the move" in scholarly observation and mass media reportage. Movement is seen primarily in the direction of Europe. Yet the public debate is characterized by two misconceptions. The first is that high population growth in Africa would almost automatically trigger higher international migration to the neighbouring European continent. There is even talk of a "rush to Europe". The second frequently encountered misconception is that migration and flight in and from Africa is primarily a result of poverty, violent conflicts and environmental degradation. Both are misconceptions that cannot be reconciled with the facts at hand. 

Prof. Thomas Faist PhD heads the research group Sociology of Transnationalization and the Center on Migration, Citizenship and Development (COMCAD) at the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University.

Tobias Gehring is doing his PhD at the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University and the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology (BGHS).

Dr. Susanne U. Schultz received her doctorate from the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University. She is a project manager at the Bertelsmann Stiftung and an Associated Research Fellow at the Center on Migration, Citizenship and Development (COMCAD).