Leiden University Student Repository

Breet, Sweder (2023)

The Congolese Diaspora in Western Europe - its dynamics and obstacles in the development of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Bachelor thesis | Security Studies (BSc)

The global African diaspora has a significant potential to help develop their countries of origin through the use of remittances and knowledge acquired abroad. This is also most certainly the case for the diaspora of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who can use the finances and knowledge acquired in Europe to help the development of their home country. This research aims to explore the activities as well as the obstacles while sending remittances of the Congolese diaspora in Europe and Western Europe in particular because the diaspora communities are considerably larger in this area than elsewhere in Europe. Using academic literature and reports from government and non-governmental organisations, this research will use a qualitative thematic analysis to explore how the Congolese diaspora remits finances and goods to the DRC. Based on these sources, it can be seen that the Congolese diaspora generally remits a significant amount, between 40 and 60 percent, of their income to...Show moreThe global African diaspora has a significant potential to help develop their countries of origin through the use of remittances and knowledge acquired abroad. This is also most certainly the case for the diaspora of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who can use the finances and knowledge acquired in Europe to help the development of their home country. This research aims to explore the activities as well as the obstacles while sending remittances of the Congolese diaspora in Europe and Western Europe in particular because the diaspora communities are considerably larger in this area than elsewhere in Europe. Using academic literature and reports from government and non-governmental organisations, this research will use a qualitative thematic analysis to explore how the Congolese diaspora remits finances and goods to the DRC. Based on these sources, it can be seen that the Congolese diaspora generally remits a significant amount, between 40 and 60 percent, of their income to households in the DRC. These households often depend on between 80 to 100 percent of their income on these remittances. Remittances are mostly spent on personal consumption and are rarely used for investments or development purposes. This is mostly due to the fact that investing in the DRC is seen as a high-risk decision with a weak return on investment and the fact that the Congolese government makes it challenging for the diaspora to invest due to citizenship issues, corruption and complicated bureaucratic procedures. The diaspora is willing to invest in the DRC but their efforts should be facilitated to actually contribute to the development of the country.Show less

DRC, diaspora, remittances, Western Europe

Author

Breet, Sweder

Faculty

Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs

Supervisors

Muse, M.A.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en