Development as more than economic growth : A qualitative analysis on development in the African Union’s migration policy

Sammanfattning: An increased global attention has been placed on the effects of migration on development, particularly in Africa, due to the increase in remittances to the continent. The African Union (AU) has negotiated multiple migration frameworks and conventions to promote development in this arena. The increased attention has also made researchers within the Migration-Development Nexus (MDN) question the uncritical use of the concept development. This study aims to answer the question of: “How does the AU’s representation of development affect its migration policy?”. The “What's the Problem Represented to be?” model was used to analyse the colonial discourse in the representation of development in the Migration Policy Framework for Africa 2018-2030. The results showed that development is discursively represented as economic growth, migrants are seen as agents of development and North-South hierarchies are evident in the representation of developed/underdeveloped. It was concluded that focus should lie on state-by-state definitions of what development is and is not