Migration and Rural-Urban Linkages in Ethiopia

There seems to be some specialisation of activities among the migrants of the differentethnic groups living in the urban neighbourhoods of Shashemene and Kolfe. Most of themigration experiences in the rural sites, particularly Gurage and Gamo areas, were chainmigrationwhereby former migrants attracted relatives or people from the same area, whocame to live with them or work for them and then set themselves up independently.The majority of the poor rural households view wereda towns, sub-wereda towns andother rural villages, and to a lesser extent Addis Ababa, regional state capitals and zonaltowns, as important places to maximise the opportunities for their livelihoods. Reasonsfor the importance of small towns include proximity, the availability of consumer goods,health and education services as well as employment in construction work and the serviceindustry such as small bars and restaurants.Beyond serving as a safety net, the rural-urban seasonal migration among the interviewedindividuals often did not entirely transform the lives of the majority of the poor migrants.Rural-urban migration was also felt to have negative economic and social effects on thosewho migrated particularly for those engaged in domestic work with extremely low wages.Although these migrants manage to escape their serious economic problems in their ruralhomes as a result of the improved cash income they earn in the urban areas and the socialsupport they obtained from their migrant associations, their individual wellbeing does notimprove; rather it is sometimes reported to have exposed them to exploitation and abuse.This exploitation and abuse has been more serious among child and female migrants.Successive Ethiopian governments to date have shared negative perceptions of migration,discouraged migration by introducing various measures and formulated policies thatfocus primarily on supporting rural agriculture and controlling rural-urban migration.Nonetheless, the newly developed Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development toEnd Poverty (PASDEP; FDRE, 2005) covering the period 2006-2010 acknowledges theneed for the strengthening of rural-urban linkages and intends to rebalance a growthstrategy with emphasis on the development of small towns and growth poles, particularlyin urban areas. Such strategic priorities seem to create a more favourable, enablingenvironment towards the mobility of people, although the role of internal migration inthis poverty alleviation strategy is not directly addressed.In general, the findings of the case studies reflected in this paper support the argumentthat seasonal rural-urban migration has added significant value to the diversification oflivelihoods and thereby has reduced livelihood risks and vulnerability in rural areas.Therefore, it is important for various stakeholders to recognise the vital importance ofinternal migration as a means for diversifying livelihood opportunities.Given the dynamics of migration and the effects of the migration experience, theGovernment of Ethiopia, donors and the NGO community should consider thestrengthening of the decentralisation process and prioritising development activities insmall wereda towns and developing urban-rural linkages. Such investment in lower levels2