DIRECTORATE OF FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS AND MIGRATION 

I.                  INTRODUCTION

ECOWAS recognises the role of migration in its regional economic agenda and the importance of free movement of people within the sub-region. The Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and the Right of Residence and Establishment was adopted in1979 by the Heads of Government of ECOWAS Member States. The Protocol on Free Movement is one of the key pillars upon which the whole regional ‘Integration and Development’ agenda rests

Since the adoption of the flagship protocol, ECOWAS has been committed to ensuring a robust implementation of the Protocol of Free Movement of Persons through a harmonized approach. This commitment has also necessitated the need to constantly engage relevant authorities to ensure effective implementation of the text in light of emerging migration trends and challenges.

The Directorate of Free Movement of Persons and Migration which is within the Department of Economic Affairs & Agriculture, is a crucial body within the ECOWAS Commission, responsible for supporting the implementation of the ECOWAS Free Movement of Persons Protocols and the ECOWAS Common Approach on Migration, aiming to facilitate safe and well-governed migration within the region.

II.               STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

The Directorate’s mandate is based on the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons and its supplementary acts and its objectives are the following:

• Objective 1: Ensure the continuity of intervention mechanisms for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Protocol relating to the free movement of persons;
• Objective 2: Undertake relevant programmes and activities aimed at removing obstacles along ECOWAS highways and facilitating the movement of people and goods in the community;
• Objective 3: Promote inter- and intra-regional migration dynamics consistent with the ECOWAS approach to migration, designed to foster regional growth;
• Objective 4: Strengthen cross-border cooperation and promote the implementation of cross-border cooperation initiatives to deepen regional integration.

III.            PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS

Under the auspices of the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, the Directorate of Free Movement of Persons and Migration implements two cardinal programmes driven by its two divisions:

• Border Management and Migration
• Cross-Border Cooperation

The Directorate also has oversight over the implementation of three (3) projects, namely the ECOWAS/Spain Fund on Migration and Development, the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) Project and the Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa – Phase II (FMM West Africa II).

IV.            THE ECOWAS/SPAIN FUND ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The ECOWAS/Spain Fund on Migration and Development is a fund created by the ECOWAS Commission and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the aim is to eradicate poverty in the ECOWAS sub region, through sustainable and effective regional integration and institutional capacity building.  In specific terms, the Fund on Migration and Development provides support to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and organisations within ECOWAS Member States for projects on migration and development that help to expand positive effects and curtail negative effects of migration on the countries, the migrants, and their families.

V. The West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI project)

The West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) is a World Bank under-funded multiphase programme aimed at increasing the number of persons in participating countries who have government-recognised proof of identity, that facilitates their access to services within and across the participating countries. The project is being implemented in phases: Phase 1, approved in 2018, includes Côte d’Ivoire, and the ECOWAS Commission, while Phase 2, approved in 2020, covers Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo. The role of the ECOWAS Commission is to foster inter-agency collaboration and strengthen engagement among stakeholders by facilitating dialogue on the cross-border interoperability of fID systems and the mutual recognition of the fID credentials issued by these systems.

VI.            FMM WEST AFRICA II

The EU Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa – Phase II (FMM West Africa II) programme seeks to maximise the development potential of the free movement of persons and migration in West Africa by supporting the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Free Movement of Persons Protocol and the ECOWAS Common Approach to Migration. It will build on previous achievements recorded under the first phase, and continue strengthening the region’s development potential, taking into account the myriad and evolving drivers of human mobility such as climate change, gender, etc.