During the economic crisis, the busiest department was probably the Immigration Bureau under the Ministry of Colonies. From the end of 1857 to the beginning of 1859, in barely more than a year, the bureau's achievements surpassed the combined total of the preceding several years.
Faced with survival, many people had no choice but to leave their homes behind. Of them, the greatest number emigrated to the Balkan Peninsula, accounting for forty percent of all emigrants.
That was only because the government had deliberately kept things under control. Otherwise, more than eighty percent of emigrants would have chosen the Balkan Peninsula.
Only two kinds of people voluntarily went to the African colonies: those with ambitions of making a fortune, and those so destitute that they could barely survive and had no choice but to go for the sake of making a living.
Those emigrating to the African Continent could sign employment contracts with the government, plantation owners, or mine owners. They had a stable income and did not need to worry about supporting their families.
Many people simply regarded going to the African Continent as taking work elsewhere. After all, immigration was not compulsory. Once their contracts expired, they could stay if they wished, or return if they did not.
For people who often had one meal but no idea where the next would come from, having work that could support their families was already good enough. If the place was farther away, then so be it.
Having completed the personnel adjustments, Franz said, "Ministry of Colonies, report on the development of the colonies."
Colonial Minister Josip Jelačić replied, "Your Majesty, we have currently opened up colonies in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria, Congo, Cameroon, Libya, and other regions.
"We have established sixty-eight colonial outposts and built eighteen cities. More