Rural-urban youth migration in rapidly expanding urban centers in Ethiopia: evidence from Hawassa city

Abstract

This study explores the extent and impact of rural-urban migration in Ethiopia, focusing on the factors that drive young people to move to urban centers, their well-being in these urban destinations, and their ties to their rural origins. To gain deeper insights, the study employed a sequential mixed-methods design, combining a household survey of migrant families with qualitative, in-depth interviews conducted with purposively selected participants. The findings showed that the migration of youth and children to Hawassa City is attributed to a range of push and pull factors, whereby limited employment opportunities, land scarcity, and poverty emerged as critical reasons for driving them from their native villages. In contrast, the aspirations to attain industrial jobs, educational opportunities, and the allure of modern lifestyles were identified as strong magnets attracting them to the urban areas. Moreover, young people attributed their migration to prolonged illness or death of biological parents or caregivers, and family breakdown. The findings further showed that once migrants arrived in the cities, they faced multiple challenges in accessing public services and resources, including access to basic education and health care. Furthermore, children’s rights to protection from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse were found to be largely unaddressed. Finally, the study proposes alternatives to inform the development of short- and long-term measures to address the challenges.