By: Jesse Joe Dacosta
Migration is a deep-seated socioeconomic phenomenon in West Africa, often characterized by traditional circular, seasonal, and cross-border migration for centuries. For decades now, the region continues to be challenged by unique migratory pressures due to urbanization, economic disparities, conflict, political upheavals, and climate change.
Despite facing significant structural and resource-related challenges in the management of migration, West Africa (ECOWAS) has pioneered innovative frameworks that provide valuable lessons for the broader global South. A primary challenge stems from the porous nature of West African borders and the inherent culture of migration within Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). While the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement (1979) provides legal guidelines for regional migration, implementation of the framework across countries remains fragmented and uneven.
Meanwhile, Policy fragmentation and capacity constraints often lead to inconsistent enforcement and human right violations against migrants. This is evident in the manner border security, security forces, and local authorities execute or treat migrants or implement the protocol. Additionally, national frameworks often prioritize national security over migration rights, especially within the context of growing regional insecurity due to terrorism and organized crime.
Inadequate institutional capacity is also a fundamental challenge. Institutional frameworks and arrangement are crucial. Ministries of interior, labor or foreign affairs often operate in silos, resulting in poor coordination and policy fragmentation. Data unavailability further compounds this problem making evidence-based policy development and evaluation highly difficult. Furthermore, the already stretched social services due to tight budgetary portfolio often lead to marginalization of migrants in essential services such as education, health, and housing.
Nevertheless, despite these obstacles ECOWAS member states have demonstrated commendable policy creativity. The regional bloc continues to push for harmonization of national migration policies through frameworks such as ECOWAS Common Approach on Migration adopted in 2008. This framework promotes a right-based and development-oriented vision for migration in West Africa. As a result of the Common Approach, states such as Ghana and Senegal have adopted national migration frameworks that link migration to development goals. This policy move aims to leverage on the huge potentials of remittances, diaspora engagement, and skills transfer.
At the domestic level, local governments of Dakar, Abidjan, and Lagos have begun to see the critical role of migrants in urban development. As a result, they are beginning to open up to working and collaborating with international organizations on adopting migrant inclusive planning processes. This new collaborative spirit has led to the initiation of human-centered approach on governance of migration. For instance, pilot projects supporting mobile birth registration for migrant children demonstrate a pragmatic step towards integrated migration governance.
Therefore, innovative partnership is crucial in this regard. It is re-enforced by the Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) platform that fosters regular dialogue among different migration stakeholders such as policy makers, security institutions, and civil society actors. These dialogues have raised awareness on migration challenges and encouraged sharing of best practices in the region.
The experience of the ECOWAS region demonstrates that migration management is more than just border management or visa free travels. It requires a nuanced and context-sensitive approach that takes into account local traditions, state sovereignty, and the respect for human rights. Nevertheless, gaps still exist within the governance architectures of countries, the emerging practices highlight that political will and continued cooperation, humane and dynamic migration governance systems can be built.
