Is West Africa Borderless? Non-State Actors in Intra-Regional Migration in the Sub-region
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The Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Babcock University,
Abstract
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The inter-state borders in West Africa remain mini "iron curtains"
.and "narrow gates" through which migrants traverse with pain,
stress and tears. Visa requirements have been removed but
migrants continue to be confronted by customs and police
harassment, resUlting in considerable economic loss and
humiliation. They are a major cog in the wheel of the Economic
Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) dream of
borderless WestAfrica. In January 2007, the Heads ofState of the
member States ofECOWAS had reached an agreement that only
two checkpoints should be maintained along common borders,
but up till now, the agreement is yet to be implemented. This paper
will utilise multi-methods which include ethnography and case
study in analysing the intricacies surrounding the borders and
ineffective Protocol on Free Movement in West Africa and the
effects on the non-state actors. Ghanaian and Nigerian diasporas
living in Nigerian and Ghana respectively are used as the case
study of the non-state actors that move back and forth within the
region. The implementation of the Protocol on Free Movement of
Persons by the governments of the ECOWAS member States and
the officials at the borders will lead to borderless WestAfrica.
Keywords
JA Political science (General)