The ABI is organising a series of events on the subject of migration governance in several West African countries. The aim is to disseminate and discuss the research results from the research project "The Political Economy of West African Migration Governance" directly in the respective research contexts. The research project is explicitly designed to be participatory and the series is part of this. For the event "L’économie politique de la gouvernance migratoire au Niger" in Nianmey, the Institute is cooperating with the The programme is available here.
The dissemination event series already started on July 4th, 2019 in Gambia, where ABI staff member Judith Altrogge presented the study "The Political Economy of Migration Governance in The Gambia" in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Further information on the event can be found here.
On 8th July, another event followed in Nigeria, organized by ABI employee Kwaku Arhin-Sam under the title "Governing Migration in Nigeria: What is the Real Agenda and Whose Agenda is it? This event took place in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Information about the event and its background here, Together with Franzisca Zanker he published a policy brief about his research.
On 18th September 2019, the ABI organised an event on migration in Niamey/Niger in cooperation with Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur les Dynamiques Sociales et le Développement Local (LASDEL). Leonie Jegen presented her research work on the topic and published a policy brief together with Franzisca Zanker.
One more event is planned: on 21/22th November 2019 in Accra/Ghana at the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana.
The research project "The Political Economy of West African Migration Governance" will continue until December 2019 and considers how migration governance instruments and institutions are made and implemented, the stakes and stakeholders involved or excluded and the societal discourse that surrounds these interests. The qualitative study focuses on four case studies - the Gambia, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal – and is based on fieldwork including semi-structured interviews in the respective countries. Funded by the Stiftung Mercator, the Political Economy of West African Migration Governance project is undertaken within the framework of the Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM). MEDAM is a three-year research and consultation project that identifies and closes gaps in existing research and develops specific recommendations for policy makers.