Family, obligations and migration: The role of kinship in Cameroon

While migration from many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa to Germany has been declining, the number of those migrating from Cameroon has greatly increased as many young Cameroonians choose to study in Germany. Challenging the common belief that migration is an individual decision in order to improve one's own life, recent studies on the decision making processes among migrants in Cameroon suggests that this is not the case.  Frequently the decision of who, when and to where one migrates is that of an authority figure within the extended family or community, who ensures the necessary financial resources for the journey.  Many migrants indicate that leaving their home countries has allowed them personal and professional opportunities that they might not have had had they remained at home, however because of the decision making structure, they become to provide for family and close community members in Cameroon.