Regional integration is key to Africa’s prosperity. A continental economic community in which goods, services, and people freely move can assist in addressing the continent’s developmental challenges and realizing the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 aspirations. Mobility and trade are thus inextricably linked.
Policies, systems, and practices are required to lower access barriers, improve people’s freedom of movement, promote intraregional trade, and develop joint strategies. While Africa is progressing toward free trade, the free movement of people is lagging.
Two complementary instruments were adopted by AU heads of state in 2018. The first was the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence, and Right of Establishment was the second (Free Movement Protocol).
Several progressive continental policies, such as the Migration Policy Framework for Africa, the Single African Air Transport Market, and the AU Strategy for Better Integrated Border Governance, support the goals of these instruments.
By 2023, the AU hopes that people will be able to freely travel among member countries, for example, by eliminating visa requirements for intra-African travel. The completion of the AfCFTA’s first two phases is also set for 2023. Despite the fact that these elements are interconnected, the rate of ratification and implementation of the instruments remains asymmetric. States demonstrate greater political will to engage in trade.
According to UNCTAD, intra-African exports will account for only 14.4% of total African exports by the end of 2021. Both UNCTAD and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) believe that the AfCFTA will have a significant impact on this. According to UNECA, the AfCFTA could increase exports by 3% while increasing intra-African trade value by 15% to 25% (US$ 50 billion to US$ 70 billion) by 2040.
These statistics do not include informal trade. Informal cross-border trade is common in Africa. It is especially important for fragile and conflict-affected states because formal trade channels may be harmed. The former offers traders an alternative market to the fragmented and potentially failing domestic market.
Migration is also important in Africa’s regional integration agenda because it contributes to socioeconomic development in both origin and destination countries. According to research, the presence of migrants in a country increases bilateral trade between recipient and origin countries. It is critical to building links through capital investment, philanthropy, knowledge transfer, and entrepreneurship, and the diaspora is a valuable resource.
Regular migration can also help host countries develop by providing the necessary experience, knowledge, and services from both skilled and unskilled labor. While the positive impact of migration and trade tends to favor recipient countries, the resulting trade imbalance for origin countries could be offset by remittances and direct investment.
Another aspect is that, under the AfCFTA, African countries must gradually improve access to services within their respective markets. As a starting point for engagement, African member states agreed in 2018 on five priority services: financial services, communication, transportation, tourism, and business services. Initial offers on trade-in services had been received from 43 countries by September 2022. As a result, Africa is on track to complete this critical component of the process.
The African Union’s Migration Policy Framework and the African Common Position on Migration and Development both state unequivocally that better migration management and governance can help Africa advance economically. The AU’s member states and regional economic communities (RECs) should develop policies that promote development through migration.
While the Free Movement Protocol is a continental agreement, it is effectively governed and implemented at the national and regional levels. Many African countries have already participated in freedom of movement declarations through RECs and understand the responsibility that comes with it. The agreement must be translated and contextualized to take into account domestic realities as well as Africa’s long-term strategy (and its member states).
This includes how its implementation can help build resilience in Africa for unanticipated mobility and support the continent’s transition to a borderless state. It also includes providing a framework for policy coherence on the digitalization of civil registers and assisting in meeting the long-term goal of making Africa a home’. Nonetheless, progress on ratifying and implementing the protocol is slow – slower than for the AfCFTA.
In comparison to the AfCFTA, African states have been hesitant to adopt the Free Movement Protocol for four major reasons:
- The first is concern about mass migration from less developed to more developed, middle-income African countries. However, this should not detract from the benefits of migration to recipient countries and how it provides migrants with opportunities for a better life. It is necessary to implement a progressive and differentiated streamlining of the fiscal, labor market, and immigration policies that promote migrant integration.
- Second, some states are concerned about state sovereignty and undocumented migrants, as well as the possibility that free movement will fuel insecurity. While some of these concerns are unfounded, they should not be overlooked as states’ willingness to implement the AfCFTA and, eventually, free movement.
- Third, as a result of the economic damage caused by Covid-19, calls to prioritize citizens over migrants have gained traction. While the AfCFTA promises pandemic recovery and the rebuilding of Africa’s resilience, the Free Movement Protocol is seen as an impediment.
- Fourth, states are encouraged to relent on border regulation and control in the absence of strong safeguards. It is critical to build the necessary infrastructure to ensure that members benefit equitably from the AfCFTA and the protocol. Many countries face dangers from violent extremism, human trafficking, and money laundering.
Without corresponding regulatory measures to mitigate risks, free movement is viewed as a challenge rather than an opportunity. The development of a strong digital identification system that allows states to track people’s movements efficiently is critical.
The AfCFTA and the Free Movement Protocol have enormous potential for long-term development. Commitment to implementing both frameworks concurrently would benefit Africa’s economy and development. However, the current dissonance between the two is symptomatic of the continent’s ongoing policy development and implementation crisis.
State efforts must be increased on both fronts. This includes the AU and RECs expediting the ratification, adoption, and implementation of mobility regime regulations, policies, and protocols. The Free Movement Protocol is an excellent starting point.
