By Victor Ahiuma-Young

African trade unions have accused governments, global financial actors and failed economic systems of driving millions of young Africans into dangerous migration routes, warning that the continent is “losing both its wealth and its future workforce” to inequality, austerity and corruption.

The warning came from the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC-Africa, during the 2nd 2026 International Migration Review Forum organised by the United Nations Migration Network in New York.

In a statement delivered by ITUC-Africa, General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, on the margins of the global migration gathering, said migration across Africa is no longer driven by opportunity or free choice, but by “crisis, desperation and survival.”

The organisation, representing over 18 million workers across 52 African countries, painted a grim picture of a continent battling armed conflict, unemployment, collapsing social systems and massive illicit financial flows that continue to drain resources needed for development.

“Migration today reflects the fractures of our global system — fractures defined by injustice, economic imbalance and a failure to deliver dignity and decent work for all,” the statement declared.

ITUC-Africa cited ongoing conflicts from Sudan to the Sahel region as major triggers of forced displacement, saying millions of workers and their families are being uprooted and pushed into perilous migration journeys.

But beyond insecurity, the organisation blamed worsening inequality, weak labour markets and shrinking public services for fueling what it described as a “forced exit” of Africa’s youth.

According to the group, austerity measures imposed in many African countries — including cuts in public spending, wage suppression and reduced social protections — are deepening poverty and hopelessness among young people.

“Our African governments are implementing austerity measures that continue to place the burden of adjustment on workers. These conditions drive irregular migration and deepen vulnerability”, the statement said.

The labour body also condemned illicit financial flows from Africa, saying billions of dollars are siphoned out of the continent annually instead of being invested in jobs, education, healthcare and social protection systems.

“At the same time, Africa loses billions annually through illicit financial flows. These are resources that should finance development, create jobs and build resilience. Instead, they are extracted, leaving economies hollowed out,” ITUC-Africa stated.

The organisation warned that many bilateral labour migration agreements signed by African governments are prioritising labour export over workers’ rights and protections.

“Workers are not commodities,” the statement stressed, noting that migration policies must be anchored on dignity, rights and social dialogue rather than economic exploitation.

ITUC-Africa also raised concerns over the growing wave of xenophobia and Afrophobia facing migrants globally, accusing political actors of using migration to fuel hate and division while ignoring the real causes of economic hardship.

Despite the bleak outlook, the group pointed to Spain’s regularisation efforts as evidence that humane and practical migration policies can protect workers and support economies simultaneously.

The organisation said it is working through the Africa Trade Union Migration Network, ATUMNET, alongside international partners such as the International Labour Organisation, ILO, and the International Organisation for Migration, IOM, to provide legal support, skills development and migrant resource centres for vulnerable workers.

ITUC-Africa called for governments and international institutions to end austerity policies, tackle corruption and illicit financial flows, invest in decent work and social protection, and ensure that migration becomes “a choice, not a necessity. The rights of migrant workers and their families are not negotiable.Workers do not lose their rights when they cross borders”, the statement added.