Free movement in West Africa: Juxtapositions and Divergent Interests

Prior to the pandemic, what was the state of free movement in the ECOWAS region, and what needs to be considered in a post-coronavirus era? This policy brief takes stock of free movement, noting that European interests in migration governance in West Africa have increasingly been criticized as acting detrimentally on regional mobility. It also shows that the implementation of the ECOWAS free movement protocols was already being hindered by the divergent interests of member states, putting ECOWAS in a difficult position. Finally, it looks at the potential role of civil society actors. In all, this enables us to give a more rounded picture of how the free movement protocols are being applied.