Migration Policy
The Free Movement and Migration (FMM) West Africa project seeks to foster policy coherence at the regional level to ensure that the ECOWAS migration policy be consistent with other regional strategies and policies. At the national level, the project will support the preparation and adoption of national migration policies and the mainstreaming of migration into national development agenda
FMM West Africa is funded by the European Union and the ECOWAS Commission. It is implemented jointly by the International Organization for Migration, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and the International Labour Organization.
POLICY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY SUPPORT
Build ECOWAS capacities in:
- Support the preparation and adoption
of national migration policies in selected
ECOWAS Member States through the provision
of training, policy advice and technical
expertise - Promote the mainstreaming of migration
into national development strategies - Commission policy-oriented studies on the
most topical aspects of free movement of
persons and migration in the region
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY-BUILDING
- Conduct trainings on migration policy
development, targeting both the ECOWAS
Commission as well as the national experts
of its Member States and Mauritania
Support the preparation and adoption of national migration policies in selected ECOWAS Member States
In September 2016, a consultation mission to support the development of a migration policy in The Gambia was carried out. Key results of the consultation include the agreement with the government of the tentative objectives, structure, and time line for the policy. In addition, a term of reference for an expert to support the government with this process was developed and approved by the national government. The process of elaboration of the policy was co-funded by IOM (own resources) and the FMM (final validation workshop). The document is currently submitted for signature to the concerned Minister.
In November 2016, an inter-ministerial workshop was successfully held in Togo to develop a roadmap for the elaboration of the national migration policy. The activity was delayed in order to implement a study on the current strategies and action plan on migration existing in the country. The objective is to analyse gaps and needs and avoid duplication in view of the development of an overarching document on migration. The study has been finalized but not yet validated
In 2017 Senegal has successfully finalized and adopted the Action plan for implementing the national migration policy. The Action Plan elaboration was fully funded by the FMM program. The action plan comes to complete the national migration policy of Senegal that was elaborated in the same period under another funding scheme.
The 26th and the 29th September 2017, the FMM project funded a workshop of the Inter-Ministerial Committee of Niger in charge of the national policy on migration for the revision and the national priorities on migration and for preparing the country position on the Global Compact on Migration. The workshop was functional to reactivate the coordination on migration and to relaunch the migration elaboration process. The policy is currently under elaboration through the support of a different funding mechanism.
The process of developing the labour migration policy for Ghana has commenced and will be co-funded by the ACP-EU migration action. An inception workshop was held from 16-19 April 2018 at Mankessim, Ghana in order to discuss the structure of the labour migration policy and enhance the capacity of relevant actors in various aspects of labour migration. This activity was held to ensure that the policy document is coherent with international standards in labour migration governance.
In December 2018, stakeholders including government representatives, trade unions, workers’ and employers’ associations, civil society, ECOWAS, ILO and IOM, gathered in Volta hotel, Akosombo Ghana to validate the labour migration policy. The overriding goal of the National Labour Migration Policy is to improve good governance and harness the benefits of labour migration for socioeconomic development in Ghana. The policy outlines strategic policy actions under three main intervention areas, namely governance of labour migration, systems for the protection and empowerment of migrant workers and their families, and mechanisms for maximizing the developmental impacts of labour migration. In addition to these three intervention areas, labour migration data is discussed as a cross-cutting issue. The policy document also includes institutional arrangements for the implementation of the policy.
Guinea Conakry is also developing its national migration policy. A cascade training on migration policy development and management was held from 2-4 May for members of the inter-ministerial committee on migration. The members of the committee are scheduled to meet again in June for a workshop on the elaboration of the thematic strategies of the future policy.
In Togo and Benin, the process started respectively with a preliminary study and with the recruitment of a national consultant. Benin established four thematic groups to critically review aspects of the draft policy and provide guidance to the consultant. Technical working group meetings were organised from October to November 2018. In April 2019 draft policy was validated in Cotonou. During the validation meeting, stakeholders drawn from national and international agencies provided input to the policy document. Comments are being incorporated and the final approved version will be available in July 2019. ( 150) National Migration Policy for Benin)
The process for Togo was however halted, due to the Government’s reluctance in developing its national migration policy. The precondition for preparing the workshop was the mapping study, which highlighted that existing institutional, legislative and regulatory framework was favourable to the design and implementation of a migration policy for Togo. It recommended that existing document form the basis for policy. To advance this, the inter-ministerial Committee on migration recommended working on a previously drafted copy of a national policy on migration. The Committee, however, did not respond positively to follow ups for a draft of the previous policy document and calls to fashion a mutually acceptable way forward regarding this process. These delays showed that the policy is not the priority of the Government of Togo, hence the budget for this was reallocated.
In November 2016, an inter-ministerial workshop was successfully held in Togo to develop a roadmap for the elaboration of the national migration policy. The activity was delayed in order to implement a study on the current strategies and action plan on migration existing in the country. The objective is to analyse gaps and needs and avoid duplication in view of the development of an overarching document on migration. The study has been finalized but not yet validated
In 2017 Senegal has successfully finalized and adopted the Action plan for implementing the national migration policy. The Action Plan elaboration was fully funded by the FMM program. The action plan comes to complete the national migration policy of Senegal that was elaborated in the same period under another funding scheme.
The 26th and the 29th September 2017, the FMM project funded a workshop of the Inter-Ministerial Committee of Niger in charge of the national policy on migration for the revision and the national priorities on migration and for preparing the country position on the Global Compact on Migration. The workshop was functional to reactivate the coordination on migration and to relaunch the migration elaboration process. The policy is currently under elaboration through the support of a different funding mechanism.
The process of developing the labour migration policy for Ghana has commenced and will be co-funded by the ACP-EU migration action. An inception workshop was held from 16-19 April 2018 at Mankessim, Ghana in order to discuss the structure of the labour migration policy and enhance the capacity of relevant actors in various aspects of labour migration. This activity was held to ensure that the policy document is coherent with international standards in labour migration governance.
In December 2018, stakeholders including government representatives, trade unions, workers’ and employers’ associations, civil society, ECOWAS, ILO and IOM, gathered in Volta hotel, Akosombo Ghana to validate the labour migration policy. The overriding goal of the National Labour Migration Policy is to improve good governance and harness the benefits of labour migration for socioeconomic development in Ghana. The policy outlines strategic policy actions under three main intervention areas, namely governance of labour migration, systems for the protection and empowerment of migrant workers and their families, and mechanisms for maximizing the developmental impacts of labour migration. In addition to these three intervention areas, labour migration data is discussed as a cross-cutting issue. The policy document also includes institutional arrangements for the implementation of the policy.
Guinea Conakry is also developing its national migration policy. A cascade training on migration policy development and management was held from 2-4 May for members of the inter-ministerial committee on migration. The members of the committee are scheduled to meet again in June for a workshop on the elaboration of the thematic strategies of the future policy.
In Togo and Benin, the process started respectively with a preliminary study and with the recruitment of a national consultant. Benin established four thematic groups to critically review aspects of the draft policy and provide guidance to the consultant. Technical working group meetings were organised from October to November 2018. In April 2019 draft policy was validated in Cotonou. During the validation meeting, stakeholders drawn from national and international agencies provided input to the policy document. Comments are being incorporated and the final approved version will be available in July 2019. ( 150) National Migration Policy for Benin)
The process for Togo was however halted, due to the Government’s reluctance in developing its national migration policy. The precondition for preparing the workshop was the mapping study, which highlighted that existing institutional, legislative and regulatory framework was favourable to the design and implementation of a migration policy for Togo. It recommended that existing document form the basis for policy. To advance this, the inter-ministerial Committee on migration recommended working on a previously drafted copy of a national policy on migration. The Committee, however, did not respond positively to follow ups for a draft of the previous policy document and calls to fashion a mutually acceptable way forward regarding this process. These delays showed that the policy is not the priority of the Government of Togo, hence the budget for this was reallocated.
The capacities of national institutions in the areas of border management, labour migration and counter trafficking are strengthened
To address migration capacity building needs in ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania, the Project has established a flexible Demand Driven Facility (DDF) for national institutions, to which national institutions can submit requests for capacity building and technical assistance according to their specific needs. Areas of intervention include border management, labour migration, counter trafficking and related policy development and implementation.
The inception phase of the project was dedicated to preparatory activities, including the development of procedures and tools for the functioning of the DDF; the development of the DDF Guidelines to clarify its main objectives and modalities; and guidelines for applicants. The DDF is overseen by the DDF Technical Committee, which consists of representatives from the ECOWAS Commission’s Free Movement and Tourism and Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorates, the EU Delegation, and the consortium partners. The DDF Technical Committee approved the DDF Guidelines on 24 September 2014.
Thereafter the DDF was launched and awareness raising on the DDF conducted with national institutions in the ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania. Within the reporting period, 49 DDF requests were received from national institutions in ECOWAS Member States and 11 DDF actions have been approved by the DDF Technical Committee.
The inception phase of the project was dedicated to preparatory activities, including the development of procedures and tools for the functioning of the DDF; the development of the DDF Guidelines to clarify its main objectives and modalities; and guidelines for applicants. The DDF is overseen by the DDF Technical Committee, which consists of representatives from the ECOWAS Commission’s Free Movement and Tourism and Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorates, the EU Delegation, and the consortium partners. The DDF Technical Committee approved the DDF Guidelines on 24 September 2014.
Thereafter the DDF was launched and awareness raising on the DDF conducted with national institutions in the ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania. Within the reporting period, 49 DDF requests were received from national institutions in ECOWAS Member States and 11 DDF actions have been approved by the DDF Technical Committee.