ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND PERCIEVED ACCULTURATIVE STRESS AMONG AFRICAN MIGRANTS IN GERMANY - African Population Studies, Vol. 28, No. 1

Within the West we experience upheavals that in some cases are severely problematic. Developing countries - on the other hand - continue to face ongoing social, political, climatic and economic disparities on an ongoing basis. In turn, locals are forced to flea these ongoing stresses and migrate in hopes of a better life. Most within the African continent turn to Europe, its faraway neighbor. 

It is a fact that we are bombarded with coverage in the news of the amount of migrants fleeing war-torn areas. Yet, in most cases we are not provided with the full story. Rather, the migrants are described in a negative fashion as being a burden on Western society because of their overwhelming numbers. In turn, most news coverage of this issue lacks acknowledgment of the individual struggles migrants go through for a better life in the West. The Guardian in their article: "Fear, fatigue and separation: a journey with migrants willing to risk everything", has done just this - gave the individuals a voice.

The unnamed journalist followed a group of African migrants and the smugglers from Athens, Greece through the Balkans. Most migrants use Greece as a safe haven because they can claim asylum, but many do not stay due to the economic struggles Greece is currently under. In turn, smugglers then bring the hopeful group on a 10-day journey in hopes of gaining entry to the heart of the EU - Germany and France. Most, however, don't make it and are caught by police who take them back to Athens. One woman in particular was caught and was separated from her small child, causing her great stress and sadness. She describes these ordeals as being wrong and inhuman. 

While most migrants believe that the EU - specifically Germany - would free them of their worries, Erhabor Sunday Idemudia states that this might not be the case. In his journal Idemudia studies the "Associations between demographic factors and perceived acculturative stress among African migrants in Germany". Further, special emphasis is placed on the idea that living in Germany would be stressful on African migrants. 

Data from 85 migrants from the general population, as well as prisons, showed that 73.4% were males and 26.6% were females with age ranging from 18 to 46 years old. Participants of the study completed the MAQ interview that is used while assessing acculturative stress.

Results from the hierarchical regression analysis indicated that: majority of Africans living within Germany reported some form of racial discrimination, a negative situation, precarious job and a substantially large amount of daily hassles. To this extent, acculturative stress increased with duration of stay within Germany. Family fragmentation and being separated from one's spouse was a strong predictor of acculturative stress, as well as being an economic refugee. 

It is recommended that genuine attempts to support African migrants within Germany should be put it place. Moreover, attitudes of "you should not be here in the first place" has not only effected the migrants, but has also put economic and political stresses on the host country - Germany.   



For this journal and others from this issue, click here.