The ECOWAS mission, which visited the Republic of Niger, from September 25 to 30, 2022, to examine the situation of citizens of the region stranded in the country during their transit migration to North Africa and Europe, completed its work on a series of recommendations to member countries, technical and financial partners as well as the ECOWAS Commission.
The mission was composed of Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, Head of Mission and ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of Human Development and Social Affairs, representatives of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the most affected Member States (Guinea, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Benin), Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Affairs, experts from the departments of Human Development and Social Affairs and those in charge of free movement at the level of the ECOWAS Commission.
While deploring the increasingly frequent mass expulsions of ECOWAS citizens from the Maghreb, particularly from Algeria to Nigerien territory, the mission underlined its attachment to respect for the migrant person as prescribed by international law through consultation in bilateral and/or multilateral cooperation. The representatives of the member countries present in Niamey as well as the experts of ECOWAS recommend to the governments of the Member States of the Regional Organization to favor a legislative environment favorable to good governance of migration and to act for the promotion of migration management in human face between the Maghreb and the ECOWAS countries.
In one of their recommendations, they invite and encourage ECOWAS through its dialogue platform on migration in West Africa (MIDWA) to support Member States in the process of concerted management of migration with the Maghreb. They further recommend that development partners engaged in the field of migration support initiatives for migration with a human face, strengthen national and cross-border collaboration between technical services and collaborate with governments to undertake actions aid aimed at improving the return and reintegration of migrants.
To the countries of the Maghreb and all other regions, the ECOWAS mission recommends discouraging the forced return of people in need of protection.
Finally, the participants in the assessment mission welcome the efforts made by the State of Niger, development and humanitarian partners, international organizations and civil society in welcoming migrants from the Maghreb.
At the end of her stay in Niamey, Professor Fatou SOW Sarr had on Friday September 20, 2022, a series of meetings with the Nigerien Minister in charge of Humanitarian Action and Disaster Management, Mr. Laouan MAGAGI , the of the Interior and Decentralization Mr. Adamou SOULEY , that of the Promotion of Women and the Protection of Children, Ms. ALLAHOURY Aminata ZOURKALEINI , and with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research , the teacher. AG Arya MOUSSA.
