Nigerian migration to Ireland: movements, motivations and experiences

Abstract

This article focuses on the different Nigerian groups that have migrated to Ireland from the 1980s. Data from a series of interviews in Ireland and Nigeria are employed to identify distinct groups of Nigerian migrants to Ireland and their specific migration patterns. The article identifies two broad categories of Nigerian migrants to Ireland: those who have moved from other European countries, and those who have migrated directly from Nigeria. Within each of these categories, the article also identifies a number of sub-categories that are related to both macro- and micro-level factors and conditions. The paper argues that any study of African migration to Europe should focus on individual experiences rather than generalisations in order to capture to complexity of such migration movements.