The political economy of migration governance in West Africa

Despite the increasing attention on West Afri-
can countries as a major region of origin for
refugees and other migrants coming to Eu-
rope, there is little research that specifically considers
the position, stakes, or interests of West African states.
However, in order to understand the stakes of migra-
tion cooperation, the EU and its member states need
to better understand how and in what ways African
governments prioritize migration. This means con-
sidering migration policy interests in a more holistic
way rather than reducing them to migration toward
Europe, as that would render analysis of an African
view incomplete. Because different migration interests
can be played off against each other, it is vital to look at
where irregular migration to Europe stands in relation
to other issues like diaspora remittances and displace-
ment in the country.
For research on the “Political Economy of West Af-
rican Migration Governance” (WAMiG) 42 project, we
employ such a holistic understanding, expanding on a
point that has repeatedly arisen in previous studies for
MEDAM.