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Migration policy frameworks in Africa

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As migration within and from Africa increases, policies managing the movement of people become critical.

14 DEC 2017 / BY TSION TADESSE ABEBE

There are various migration policy frameworks and regimes on the African continent. These include policies developed by the African Union (AU) and the various regional economic communities, as well as those adopted by the AU in agreement with the European Union. It is important for policymakers and practitioners at continental, regional and country levels to have a clear understanding of these frameworks and how they form the basis of African migration policies.

Key points

The Migration Policy Framework articulates the African Union’s (AU) position on migration. It emphasises that well-managed migration has the potential to yield significant benefits to origin and destination countries.

The AU should work with regional economic communities (RECs) to address the multiplicity of membership by countries in the different RECs. Overlapping membership impacts the implementation of migration frameworks, leads to a waste of resources and results in coordination challenges.

The AU should engage with the European Union (EU) to counter the tendency to consider migration as a security concern. Only 8% of migrants in Europe are African, and there is no evidence that they constitute a major security threat. Most of these migrants are moving to Europe in search of better opportunities rather than to engage in violent activities.