African and European politicians are meeting in the Ghanaian capital Accra to discuss how to stem the illegal flow of African migrants to Europe.

One plan is to publicise in Africa the stories of hazardous journeys to Europe, in the hope of persuading would-be migrants to emigrate legally.

Another suggestion is to make it easier for Africans to get jobs legally.

In 2007, thousands of Africans died trying to enter the EU, either crossing the Sahara or travelling by boat.

"Last year, around 15,000 immigrants reached one of the gateways to Europe - Spain's Canary Islands - and about 12,000 made it to Italy," said Joe Rispoli of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which is launching the programme with the EU.

"But several thousand others died en route."

Brain circulation

Apart from sending home money for relatives, African countries see little benefit from the migration, but are efforts afoot to change that, says the BBC's Will Ross Accra.

European countries like Spain and Italy have skills shortages and are keen to advertise in Africa for short-term contracts.

With plans to help with skills training in Africa, the EU has started to talk of a brain circulation rather than a brain drain, our correspondent adds.

But the demand for jobs in Europe massively outstrips these legal offers of work.

Consequently, the only way to stem the illegal migration would be to create jobs in Africa, says our correspondent.


BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Africa meeting to block migrants

They don't need to be going to Europe anyway.

They do when their home economies are in disarray partly due to European policies and expliotaion. They do when remittance payements from Africans abroad are vital to the survival of loved ones back home. Like the Eastern Europeans in Europe or Mexicans in the US, people go where the money is, where they can make a living.

the number of Africans imigrants in the west tells of how well we are doing as a people. you never see Gadafi's people in the west, or anywhere else seeking better economic prospects. they do not need to migrate. he takes care of them.

400 years later and our people are still fodder for other countries' industries and other social institutions. just looking out my Southwark window the numbers of we tells me at once, an everyday reminder, we remain the most enslaved group of people on this small planet. forced poverty so you are at every Jim and Jack's whims... that's sad, man.

what are African governments going to do about this? force Africans not to immigrate? force European governments to toughen up on immigration? do those men and women in Africa even know what is going on? do they have the slightest clue? next thing they will be doing is accepting IMF dictates, accepting bribes, selling out our futures again. what we are seeing now is the result of the cunning of some of our lowliest types, who connived with the former colonial masters, and even today we remain the only group on the planet that can have people who will sell out for trinkets, while birthing children to live in the hell you helped create.

now they are after our educated ones. Europe is now gonna start giving papers to people with the proper credentials. no more of that frustrating, destructive wait with the others, going through the dirt before getting some status. qualifications are given points, after which the person is given the legal documents to stay, on the spot.

lets see what African governments are going to do about that one...

Why can't Europe take in a certain number of Africans per year? It doesn't have to be a whole lot.

Apparently, many European countries are decreasing in population due to low child birth rates and the aging population. Living in the US where Latinos are streaming over the border illegally, Europeans shouldn't be shocked that poverty-stricken Africans are killing themselves to get to their shores. They should be able to absorb a few Africans into their economies. I see this as a win-win for both sides.

Well they need to do something about it besides leaving.

In the long run you are correct, but ask yourself this how many Irish, Italians,Scots, English and the like have for centuries been leaving home in search of better opportunities when things at home are tough? In a world that proclaims "free trade" and the importance the "movement of goods, services and money why shouldn't that other commodity people by allowed to move a freely as the natural resources do out of Africa? I cannot over state the importance of Africans living in stronger economies for those back home.

It's a state of mind, a vision, a new horizon, which African leaders just don't have. Mugabe came close but he is pathetic compared to the potentials we could achieve in less than 65 years.

Shouldn't e too difficult for those governments including ours in the Caribbean to offer people opportunities after having gained education elsewhere, reverse the brain drain as it were.

Those people are obviously much needed why not encourage their return after leaving rather than scaremonger people into staying?

To be honest, part of the problem is that many people in Africa believe the West to be some kind of paradise, where the streets are paved with gold. You can't tell them that it isn't, many will think you are just lying to them. Its only when they come that they see that the same struggle is needed here for success as was needed at home.

I cant say I blame them, I mean one individual working abroad can take care of an entire family back home, they just dont have the luxury of waiting until their governments pull their finger out..........mouths need feeding daily.

I think our governements simply have to work on creating a situation where people dont feel forced to go elsewhere for a better life or more opportunities, but that will take time....and political will, something many of our "leaders" dont have at all.

It would also help if western countries stopped enabling African leaders (namely Nigeria) to keep stolen money in their banks, or at least alert the government when it does happen.

I think most of these African leaders are seriously lacking in pride. It filters down to the people too. But then poverty is a bitch. Who can say what you will do after a lifetime of it. Africans fleeing to the West and thinking ( shows the power of television) that here is paved with gold...the Africans who work for the World Bank and help to bind our people in more debt/Swiss Bank theifs/European or Arabian culture glorification/ the lack of use and promotion of African languages/ the list goes on..

Im seriously starting to consider how a people can get and be kept in such a state unless their lack of pride initially/ and consequently/ allows this to happen.

Why has the African been so easy to culturally dominate throughout history? Im talking before slavery and colonialism.