How did emigration from the Kabylie mountains change Berber communities?

Emigration has been a long-standing necessity for the Kabyle people of Algeria due to high population densities and limited local resources in their mountainous homeland. This migratory movement has fundamentally altered their communities in several ways:12

• Economic Dependence: Many mountain populations have come to rely heavily on remittances, subsisting on money sent back by migratory workers who sought employment in France or other parts of Algeria.1
• Urbanization: The flow of people from the mountains has significantly contributed to the growth of major cities, such as Algiers, where many Kabyle immigrants settled in shantytowns and found work as laborers or shopkeepers.1
• Shifts in Settlement: Following the nationalist uprising and subsequent independence, many mountain dwellers moved into the plains to occupy houses left behind by departing Europeans, further shifting the population away from traditional mountain strongholds.1
• Labor Force: The Kabyle have served as a vital human reservoir for the Maghrib, providing the necessary labor force for commercial agriculture and other development projects in the plains.1