Highlight 24/2025: How Is Migration Governance Evolving in West Africa? Challenges and Innovations in Policy Implementation
Jesse Joe Dacosta, 9 May 2025
Migration is a deeply wove social and economic phenomenon within West Africa. 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, and climate change.
Despite facing significant structural and resources related challenges in the management of migration, West Africa (ECOWAS) have pioneered innovative frameworks that provide valuable lessons for the broader Global South. A primary challenge stems from the porous nature of West Africa 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.
Moreover, Policy fragmentation and capacity challenges often leads 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.
Absence of institutional capacity is also a key challenge. Institutional frameworks and arrangement are crucial, whether ministries of interior, labor or foreign affairs often operate in silos, resulting to 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 environment leads 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 skill movement.
At the domestic level, local governments of Dakar, Abidjan, and Lagos has 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 demonstrates 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’s 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 encourages sharing od best practices in 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 a context sensitive approach that takes into account local traditions, state sovereignty, and the respect of human rights. Nevertheless, gaps still exist within the governance architectures, the emerging practices highlight that political will and continued cooperation, humane and dynamic migration governance systems can be built.
Jesse Joe Dacosta, Highlight 24/2025: How Is Migration Governance Evolving in West Africa? Challenges and Innovations in Policy Implementation, 9 May 2025, available at www.meig.ch
The views expressed in the MEIG Highlights are personal to the authors and neither reflect the positions of the MEIG Programme nor those of the University of Geneva.