A Conceptual Analysis of Migration in the Context of National Security in West Africa
No Thumbnail Available
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
the Faculty ofHumanities, Social and Management Sciences, Bingham University, Karu, N assarawa State
Abstract
Description
M igration, which is a recurrent pattern in human history, is an
important part of the agenda of ECOWAS with regard to the formal
agreement on 'Free Movement of Persons, Rights of Residence and
Establishment' within the West African region. The emphasis is placed on the
incorporation of surrounding states within the framework of policies as
developed at the level of ECOWAS. Migration is viewed as both a problem and
strength for development in both the receiving and sending states. The
migratory phenomena are still at the phase of exceptional expansion , that
tend to generalize over the region ofWestAfrica that are divided into zones of
immigration . The massive wave of migration especially from the Sahelian
areas to the hub of economic activities in the urban centres and coastal areas
can be attributed to the collapse of agriculture, perennial drought and famine,
as well as civil wars and political crisis, which have led to the movements of
millions of people from their homes to other countries. In some countries, it
also coincided with the unexpected expansion of manufacturing sector
activities, which have pulled majority of these migrants from within and
outside. Politically, some migrants constitute a political force that threatens
the national security of the receiving states. In this age of migration, the
patterns of migration within this region shall be discussed under the reason
people move and security implications oftheir movement in the nation- states of West Africa. The paper will outline the
contemporary development of migration as
a foreign policy issue among the member
states ,and assess the implications of these
developments for the ECOWAS's identity as
an international actor.
Keywords
JA Political science (General)