The project Future Migration as Present Fact (FUMI) examines the lives and dreams of young adults and the roles than migration might play, based on extensive data collection in three West African cities. The research was funded on the basis of its potential for ground-breaking contributions to migration theory, and its core output is directed at the scientific community. However, the project has also yielded new insights of relevance to policy and public debate in the communities where we have worked. From an ethical perspective, it has been important to invest in sharing these insights.
In Cape Verde and The Gambia, we organized public events in collaboration with the University of Cape Verde (Uni-CV) and University of The Gambia (UTG), respectively. At the events we presented results on selected topics, with comments from local colleagues and influential voices:
Cape Verde (27 October 2025)
Men and women in the face of emigration
- Presentation by Jørgen Carling (PRIO)
- Comments by Celeste Fortes (Uni-CV)
Dreams of young people in São Vicente
- Presentation by Jørgen Carling (PRIO)
- Comments by Revan Almeida (Kaza Preta)
Contrasts and similarities with the African mainland
- Presentation by Jørgen Carling (PRIO)
- Comments by Paulino Dias (PD Consult)
The Gambia (26 November 2025)
Gender differences and migration in Serekunda
- Presentation by Tone Sommerfelt (PRIO)
- Comments by Sait Matty Jaw (CRPD)
Migration aspirations in The Gambia, Ghana, and Cape Verde
- Presentation by Jørgen Carling (PRIO)
- Comments by Safiatou Drammeh (UTG)
Dominant dreams in the lives of young people in Serekunda
- Presentation by Tone Sommerfelt
- Comments by Killa Ace
In addition, experiences from the survey data collection were presented by our partners Guilherme Flor (MGF) in Cape Verde and Mariama Davies (CRPD) in The Gambia.
In advance of the events, we also published descriptive results from the survey of young adults that was carried out as part of the project. These reports present the data in the most accessible way, which is different from their use in scientific analyses. The results from Serekunda (The Gambia), Tema (Ghana) and São Vicente (Cape Verde) are published side-by-side in the report to also encourage comparisons within the region. In addition to the English version, a Portuguese version was published for use in Cape Verde.
$$cdnImage image=551027e7a453410497d345c6770ef62a.jpg caption=FUMI events 2025 copyright=Jørgen Carling width=3385 height=2250 alignment=center $$
