By Albertina Nakale
WINDHOEK – About 41 000 people in Namibia migrated to diverse regions between 2011 and 2010, whereas 707 000 migrated to different constituencies in 2011 compared to places of birth, in search of greener pastures.
According to the migration report launched last Thursday by the Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, 63 percent of migrants cited unemployment as the main reason for migrating to urban areas
In the report, it is projected that close to 60 percent of the population will live in urban areas by 2030, an indication that rural-urbanisation is taking place on a significant scale in Namibia.
“It is important to note that increasing concern over land is expressed. Urban areas are attracting more people with high hopes of finding better opportunities. Generally for Namibia as a whole, there is an increase of people living in urban areas. The percentage living in urban areas increased from 27 in 1991 to 43 in 2011. Yet the percent of urban across regions differ dramatically,” the report says.
Namibia will transit from being a mostly rural society to a mostly urban one due to ongoing migration.
The migration report is the sixth report produced by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) based on data from the 2011 Namibia Population and Housing Census.
It disclosed that one is more likely to cross constituency boundaries than regional boundaries and to reside at a different residence than one’s birthplace.
Meanwhile, at the regional level, internal migration varies across regions.
Over 40 percent of those residing in Khomas and Erongo in 2011 were born outside those regions, which suggests net migration flows into these regions from elsewhere.
In contrast, more than one in six people born in Ohangwena and Omusati now reside in other regions.
With regard to lifetime migration, the Oranjemund Constituency in //Karas Region has the largest net inflow of about 360, while Ohangwena Constituency in Ohangwena Region has the largest outflow of about 43 percent.
As to short-term migration, the report reveals that Steinhausen in the Omaheke Region recorded the largest net inflow in 2011 compared to 2010 of about 5 percent, while Kabbe in Zambezi recorded the largest inflow of about 25 percent.
Meanwhile, with relation to international migration, more than 93 000 or 4.5 percent of the population in 2011 were born outside of Namibia.
The report further outlined the top five countries of the foreign born with the highest being Angola at 38 076 followed by South Africa with 21 209. Thereafter, Zambia follows with 10 299 foreign born and then Zimbabwe with 5 770 while Germany is the last at 3 670.
Moreover, the report states most non-citizens are male and concentrated at young and middle-age categories, with larger proportions of both the better and least educated.
In terms of demographic characteristics of migrants, the report shows that lifetime migration is notably the highest at ages 25-59, while the short-term migration is highest at ages 20-34.
“Migration is also somewhat more common among men. As to other social characteristics, short-term migration tends to be most prevalent among the never married and the better educated,” the report further revealed.
Iivula-Ithana noted the report is very rich with important statistics that can be used at national and international levels in assisting the design of national development strategies and frameworks to address human development concerns regarding migrants.
The minister urged each and everyone to use the information in the report responsibly for the development of the Namibian nation.