Malian immigrants in France from the Region of Kayes constitute a community which is culturally and ethnically homogeneous and their expatriate associations have proven to be dynamic. Originally, migration was conceived of by the migrants and their families as temporary, but it has gradually become a common strategy of diversification of income for the village economy and the preferred way of upward social mobility for many disadvantaged people. Thus, dependence on income from migration has increased and has been reinforced by unfavourable local economic conditions.

Temporary migration has turned into settlement as a consequence of the change in the French immigration laws. Migrants have subsequently shown increasing interest in the sustainable development of Mali and have become involved in projects through the organisation of solidarity funds and development associations which undertake collective action in their country of origin. In the Region of Kayes, the migrants' ...