By 2026, migration had become a central issue in Africa and around the world. Its realities remain deeply worrying: deportations from Western countries, the outsourcing of migration controls, work restrictions in some African countries, displacement driven by insecurity and climate change, and trafficking, torture and shipwrecks. In response, experts and stakeholders are calling for a rethink of current approaches, with one clear priority: to humanise migration and turn it into a driver of development.

Professor Shamsidine Akrawati, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Lomé, offers a blunt assessment: “These are not just issues; they are challenges. We are facing an existential crisis.” At the heart of the problem lies the lack of decent living conditions in people’s home countries. “How do we make people proud to stay in their own countries?” he asks.

The answer, in his view, lies in better governance and public policy that can offer real prospects: “We must improve living conditions at home by providing what people go looking for elsewhere.”

The same logic applies to preventing departures: policy should be anticipated and assessed midway through, with any shortcomings addressed.

Access to justice, a key priority

Beyond the causes of departure, protecting migrants remains a major concern, especially for women, children and workers.

Gildas Nonnou, an associate professor from Benin and a member of the Network of Legal Experts on Migration in West and Central Africa, argues for a practical approach. “If we can help even fifty people struggling to access justice, we will have made progress.”

The time has come, he believes, to move beyond theory: “We must go beyond purely academic or book-based work and focus far more on action.”

Inclusion, a key driver of development

As mobility grows, inclusion has become a strategic priority.

“We cannot think about development without human mobility,” insists Dieudonné Kossi, Executive Director of the Legal and Social Expertise Clinic (Cejus) in Lomé, Togo.

Migrants are not a burden; they actively feed national economies through diaspora engagement and commercial activity.

“We can no longer leave migrants, women, persons with disabilities or children out of development policy,” he says.

ECOWAS, the challenge of legitimacy

Another source of tension is the role of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States). For Professor Adjita, the sub-regional body is in crisis: “It is at a deadlock. It must restructure and adapt.”

He calls for a return to the original spirit of an “ECOWAS of the peoples”, founded on free movement and focused on serving citizens.

“Work for the good of the people, not for those who govern them,” he concludes.

Turning migration into an opportunity

Honourable Judge Modibo Sacko, President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, argues that the law must play a structuring role: “Law must not be an instrument of fear, but an instrument of justice.” He calls for migration governance grounded in responsibility, solidarity and dignity.

“How do we reconcile national sovereignty with the protection of human rights?” he asks. Only on those terms, he believes, will Africa be able to turn migration crises into opportunities for sustainable development.