Understanding the motivation and processes of international migration into Ugandan cities
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Migration within the Sub-Saharan African region has continued to occur to and between urban areas in the region. This study assesses the motivations and processes of international migration in selected Ugandan cities. We analyze the migrant behavior described as ‘waves’ to understand why some people make several migration journeys between multiple cities. We utilize the framing of origin-destination (OD) to map where migrants move first and the subsequent migration. We employed a mixed method approach involving in-depth interviews, and geospatial analysis to map the origins and destinations of migrants. We apply social network analysis and the geographically weighted regression model to examine drivers of migration in each of the cities and between cities. Findings show that the origins of transboundary migrants into Ugandan cities are several including Congo, South Sudan, Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Comoros. Likewise, the drivers are several and interact to trigger migration. These drivers include conflicts and violence, search for economic opportunities, social and family reunions. The three cities where we apply the mixed method approach include Gulu, Kasese and Kampala. These findings underscore the interactions of multiple drivers but also highlight dynamism of migration with migrants moving through multiple destinations.
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