From 18 to 20 February 2026, the capital of Togo, Lomé, will host the 7th edition of the Harmattan Forum. This intellectual gathering has become a pivotal event for discussions on contemporary migration in Africa and beyond. Organised by the Clinique d’Expertise Juridique et Sociale (CEJUS), in collaboration with the Faculty of Law at the University of Lomé, AfricTivistes and several other academic and institutional partners, this year’s event focused on the ambitious theme of “Immigration at the heart of global governance of contemporary crises: making inclusion a lever for sustainable development”.

For three days, researchers, public decision-makers, representatives of international organisations, civil society members and diaspora representatives exchanged views on this structural phenomenon in a world facing multiple crises, including those relating to climate, security, the economy and health.

Rapidly changing global reality

At the opening of the conference, Professor Dosseh-Anyron – professor at the Faculty of Law and president of the ISTB Scientific Council – emphasised the magnitude of the challenges. Citing United Nations data, he stated that almost 120 million people are expected to be forcibly displaced in 2024, including 43 million refugees fleeing conflict, persecution, human rights violations and environmental disasters.

These figures are not just statistics; they reflect a profound change. “Immigration is no longer a temporary exception; it is becoming a permanent feature that is reshaping the landscape of international relations”’, he emphasised. In the context of a ‘multi-crisis’, migration is pushing the boundaries of traditional governance frameworks, calling into question the concept of national sovereignty and highlighting the tensions between security, the protection of fundamental rights and the need for sustainable development.

The professor emphasised the need to move away from interpretations of migration that focus solely on security or victimhood. While migrants are indeed vulnerable to human trafficking, illicit trafficking, gender-based violence, systemic discrimination, arbitrary detention, and violations of the principle of non-refoulement, it would be a mistake to reduce migration to a security crisis. Furthermore, this approach ignores migration’s transformative potential.

In the West African sub-region, human mobility takes various forms, including transit migration, economic mobility within the region, and forced displacement due to insecurity. Many young people from Niger and Ghana pass through Benin or Togo en route to entering the informal economy, often without social protection. Meanwhile, migrant women are particularly vulnerable to domestic and sexual exploitation.

This exclusion has an immediate human cost. It undermines social cohesion, fosters parallel economies and exacerbates community tensions. For Forum participants, therefore, the question is no longer how to curb migration, but how to manage it more effectively.

A key highlight of this year’s Forum was the emphasis placed on these contributions. According to estimates by the World Bank, remittances to developing countries now total almost $860 billion. For many countries, these migrant remittances exceed official development assistance and foreign direct investment.

Beyond their financial contributions, diaspora communities play a decisive role in transferring skills, driving social innovation and strengthening transnational connections. Speakers emphasised that migrants contribute to the demographic renewal of ageing societies and to the entrepreneurial vitality of their host countries.

Consequently, migration is viewed as a strategic opportunity rather than a threat, provided that inclusive policies are in place.

Inclusion as an ethical, political imperative

At the heart of the debate lies the concept of inclusion. This involves more than just superficial integration; it requires migrants to participate fully and completely in social, economic, political and cultural life. It implies recognising plural identities and effectively guaranteeing fundamental rights.

Making inclusion a lever for governance means placing human dignity at the centre of public policy. “Inclusion cannot remain a mere slogan; it must be established as a structuring principle of institutional engineering,” they stated.

Marc Minguenet, the guest of honour and president of the Anthony Minguenet Foundation, brought a deeply humanistic dimension to the discussions. “We are all migrants. We are all human beings sharing the same planet,” he said.

Recalling that migration is often inevitable and necessary, he emphasised the need for collective responsibility in the face of the structural inequalities that force millions of people to leave their home countries. He believes that the concepts of territory and belonging need to be reconsidered in light of emerging human aspirations.

For Marc Minguenet, ethics are the essential link between migration, human dignity, inclusion and sustainable development.

Towards renewed global governance

The seventh edition of the Harmattan Forum examined the modalities of the multilateral migration flow regulation, invoking the concept of global governance in the process. How can national sovereignty be reconciled with international solidarity? And how can the security of States be guaranteed while protecting the inalienable rights of people on the move? These questions remain unanswered for the time being.

Meanwhile, the debates highlighted the current fragmentation of political responses, which oscillate between security-driven closure and selective openness, often under pressure from nationalist rhetoric. In light of these trends, participants called for a systemic, multidisciplinary and forward-looking approach.

They emphasised that migration is a “total social fact” permeating all political, economic and cultural structures. It cannot be treated as a peripheral phenomenon.

A space for dialogue and concrete solutions

By bringing together researchers, practitioners, decision-makers and migrants themselves, the Harmattan Forum fulfils its mission of acting as a laboratory for ideas and operational proposals that are adapted to both African realities and global challenges.

This 7th edition marks another significant step in this evolution of thinking. It calls for a paradigm shift, moving from reactive, anxiety-inducing migration management to anticipatory, inclusive governance based on human dignity.

By the end of the proceedings, a shared conviction had emerged: migration is not merely a challenge to be contained, but a reality that must be understood, organised, and valued. Promoting inclusion as a means of achieving sustainable development is not only a moral choice, but also a strategic necessity for establishing a fairer, more united and resilient global order.