The impact of the Congolese forced migrants’ ‘permanent transit’ condition on their relations with Mozambique and its people

Abstract

This study seeks to understand and analyze the ways Congolese (Democratic Republic of Congo) forced migrants’ ‘permanent transit’ condition affects their relations with the Mozambicans living in Maputo. To do this, the study will: (i) document the Congolese forced migrants livelihoods strategies while in Maputo city; (ii) examine the social, cultural, economic and political relations between the Congolese forced migrants and the Mozambicans living in Maputo city, and (iii) analyze the impact of the Congolese forced migrants ‘permanent transit’ condition on their relations with the Mozambicans living in Maputo city. Due to their length of stay in Mozambique, the study expected to observe strong relationships between the Congolese forced migrants and the Mozambicans living in Maputo city: a certain level of integration, assimilation, and attachment to social, cultural, political, and economic ways of living of the Mozambicans living in Maputo city. However, the argument of this study is that the ‘permanent transit’ condition of the Congolese forced migrants living in Maputo city weakens their relationship with the Mozambicans living in the same space. Because of this ‘permanent transit’ condition, Congolese forced migrants tend not to get attached to Mozambicans through marriage and children, they often do not get a job and are dependent on remittances from relatives in the country of origin and tend to engage in social and cultural activities with other Congolese rather than with Mozambicans. This study employed a multi-methods approach, including the use of questionnaires, open- ended interviews, and written sources. The study is valuable for two main reasons. Firstly, it has generated systematically analyzable data on self-settled urban forced migrants in Maputo city. Secondly, it reveals the impact of the forced migrants’ ‘permanent transit’ condition on their relations with host countries and peoples