Enhancing Labour Mobility Amid Europe’s Transitions: Prospects for Europe - Africa Cooperation

Labour mobility between European and African countries constitutes several opportunities and challenges shaped by historical, demographic, economic, political, and policy factors. The current labour movements, however, transcend these historical ties to reflect contemporary world dynamics that are largely influenced by demographic shifts. Demographic shifts in Europe, driven by a rise in life expectancy and a decline in fertility, have led to an ageing population and created a labour force gap that is projected to widen to ninety-five million people by 2050. Europe has an opportunity to bridge this gap by attracting Africa’s young, trained labour force with the right skill set. While Africa’s population is young, educated, and demanding jobs, it faces several challenges that prevent it from being fully immersed in the European labour market. Some of these challenges include skills mismatch, complex migration policies, requirements for recognition of qualifications, and de-linked labour markets. This paper recommends that linking labour mobility to green and digital transition, creating strategic bilateral partnerships between Europe and Africa, facilitating education platforms for knowledge sharing and imparting the right skills will open more opportunities for Europe to receive the right labour migrants and for Africa to provide more opportunities for its youth, creating a win-win game for the two continents.