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The regional migration context

Migration in the West and Central Africa is characterized by the following:

  • The region exhibits dynamic migratory patterns and has had a long history of intraregional, as well as interregional, migration flows. West Africa provides the strongest example of intraregional migration flows in sub-Saharan Africa, with 70 per cent of migratory movements mainly linked to employment taking place within the sub-region.
  •  In recent years, irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa towards Europe, and between West and Central Africa, has substantially increased. States in the region, previously considered as countries of origin, are becoming transit and destination countries, with irregular migration featuring prominently in the political agendas of most of the governments concerned.
  • Labour migration plays an important role, facilitated to some extent through the existence of free movement protocols.
  • Unaccompanied migrant children are a common feature. They are often at risk of abuse, exploitation or trafficking.
  • Several factors highlight the need to mitigate the impact of migration on health in the region, including high levels of internal and cross-border migration, with a high prevalence of communicable diseases, a weak public health-care system and policy frameworks, weak or non-existent cross-border cooperation and collaboration mechanisms on migration and health, and a lack of data on mobility and health.
  • Cultural and ethnic groups are frequently split by borders, and governments face challenges in managing international boundaries while respecting cross-border communities.
  • Border management is often perceived as an exclusively national competence and responsibility. The resulting fragmentation of national approaches has contributed to mismatching and, often, incompatible border management systems and practices for countries in the region.
  • Droughts, desertification, deforestation, rising sea levels, coastal erosion and flooding have increased in occurrence and severity over the last few decades. Natural disasters displace millions of people throughout the region.
  • Conflicts in the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria and Sierra Leone has hit the region over the last decade. The Central African Republic, Chad and Mali are currently the main countries of origin of refugees and internally displaced persons.
  • The Libyan crisis provoked the emergency return of more than 200,000 migrants, destabilizing the sub-Saharan region. This put an extra burden on communities of origin, notably in Chad and Niger.
  • Security has deteriorated lately, showing that Western and Central African States are generally poorly prepared and equipped, both individually and collectively, to manage crises. The Sahel and Nigeria are notably affected by terrorist activities.

West Africa

About 8.4 million migrants, representing 2.8 per cent of the total population, move around West Africa (UN DESA, 2009). This is the largest total migrant stock in Africa, and it moves internally, intra-regionally, continentally and internationally. West Africa also concentrates the highest number of intraregional migrants and, to a lesser extent, migrants moving towards Northern Africa and Europe.

Labour mobility has significantly increased over the last decade. Following the regional economic integration and economic cooperation, a growing number of West Africans left their home countries in search of better opportunities. Estimations indicate that South-South migration accounts for more than half of all migratory movements within the region (UNDP, 2009).

Countries in the Sahel have received a large influx of returnees, as well as arms, from Libya. The most visible effects of these destabilizing elements observed are in Mali, but its neighbouring countries have also been affected. The situation in northern Mali has led to the displacement of people internally and regionally, with consequences for regional migration, border management and community stabilization. Niger is also witnessing the arrival of migrants from around the region attempting to reach Libya who are being expelled at the border, as well as returnees fleeing insecurity in northern Nigeria.

Central Africa

Conflicts inevitably cause population displacement. As intraregional mobility is limited by dense vegetation and the lack of interconnecting roads, the majority of migrants move to Europe or other African regions.

The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has a protocol of free movement and the right of establishment of its citizens. While some measures facilitating the free movement of ECCAS citizens are in place, free movement and establishment has not been a priority for ECCAS Member States. In addition, the oil windfall and the lumber industry have transformed countries such as Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea into countries of destination, with Gabon hosting the largest number of migrant workers in Central Africa.

The humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic has led to internal and regional displacement of people. Large populations of longstanding refugees from Central African Republic are found in Cameroon, Chad and the Republic of the Congo. Chad also witnesses the arrival of migrants from around the region attempting to reach Libya and being expelled at the border, returnees fleeing insecurity in northern Nigeria, as well as returnees and refugees fleeing inter-communal clashes in Sudan and the crisis in the Central African Republic.

Regions
Office type
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Asia and the Pacific
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas (The)
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic (the)
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros (the)
Congo (the)
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechia
Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic (the)
East and Horn of Africa
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Europe and Central Asia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia (the)
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Global Office in Brussels
Global Office in Washington
Greece
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
IOM Office at the United Nations
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq
Ireland
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic (the)
Latin America and the Caribbean
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Manila Administrative Centre
Marshall Islands (the)
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Middle East and North Africa
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger (the)
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Panama Administrative Centre
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines (the)
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Korea
Republic of Moldova (the)
Romania
Russian Federation (the)
Rwanda
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Subregional Office in Brussels
Subregional Office in Pretoria
Sudan (the)
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic (the)
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
United Republic of Tanzania (the)
UNSC Resolution 1244-Administered Kosovo
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Viet Nam
West and Central Africa
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe