Ko e, K is ina; Landmesse , Emma
Resea ch Repo
Regional ee mo emen o pe sons as an oppo uni y
in dealing wi h clima e mobili y: G ea po en ial, di icul
implemen a ion
SWP Commen , No. 7/2025
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
S i ung Wissenscha und Poli ik (SWP), Ge man Ins i u e o In e na ional and Secu i y A ai s,
Be lin
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Ko e, K is ina; Landmesse , Emma (2025) : Regional ee mo emen o pe sons
as an oppo uni y in dealing wi h clima e mobili y: G ea po en ial, di icul implemen a ion, SWP
Commen , No. 7/2025, S i ung Wissenscha und Poli ik (SWP), Be lin,
h ps://doi.o g/10.18449/2025C07
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NO.
7
FEBRUARY 2025
In oduc ion
Regional F ee Mo emen o Pe sons
as an Oppo uni y in Dealing wi h
Clima e Mobili y
G ea Po en ial, Di icul Implemen a ion
K is ina Ko e and Emma Landmesse
As clima e change p og esses, he numbe o people who a e being o ced o lea e
hei homes and c oss bo de s due o en i onmen al change is inc easing. A he
same ime, hey lack sa e, o de ly and egula mig a ion pa hways. Regional ee
mo emen can expand he leeway o hose who a e pa icula ly a ec ed by clima e
change. The A ican egional o ganisa ions ECOWAS (Economic Communi y o Wes
A ican S a es) and IGAD (In e go e nmen al Au ho i y on De elopmen ) ha e bo h
concluded ag eemen s ha could gua an ee such ee mo emen o pe sons. Thei
examples show he po en ial, bu also he hu dles in implemen ing such egula ions.
In o de o ake ad an age o hese ag eemen s in e ms o clima e mobili y, Ge man
and Eu opean de elopmen and mig a ion policy should do mo e o implemen
egional ee mo emen . Fu he mo e, i is impo an o suppo he ancho ing o
clima e aspec s in he ag eemen s. Coope a ion be ween he Eu opean Union (EU) and
indi idual A ican s a es should be ques ioned i i h ea ens o hinde he ee mo e-
men o people in A ica h ough mig a ion managemen and bo de secu i y.
Clima e change has al eady had a se e e
impac on human mobili y. Acco ding o
he In e nal Displacemen Moni o ing
Cen e (IDMC), 26.4 million people wo ld-
wide we e displaced wi hin hei own
coun y in 2023 due o en i onmen al
disas e s. Howe e , he co ela ion be ween
clima e change and mig a ion is mo e com-
plex han is o en po ayed. The con-
sequences o clima e change a e a ely he
sole cause o mig a ion, bu hey do ha e a
a ie y o e ec s on i s exis ing poli ical,
social and economic d i e s. Howe e , i is
e iden ha clima e change is al e ing cu -
en mobili y pa e ns. The academic and
policy deba e o en dis inguishes be ween
as -onse e en s such as looding, which o en
lead o sho - e m displacemen , and slow-
onse e en s such as dese i ica ion, which
gene ally esul in a mo e pe manen and
planned mig a ion. In some cases, howe e ,
people choose o emain in hei place o
o igin despi e di icul li ing condi ions.
A he same ime, pa icula ly ulne able
SWP Commen 7
Feb ua y 2025
2
people may lack he esou ces o mig a e
in he ace o en i onmen al changes –
wi h he esul ha hey a e in olun a ily
“ apped” in hei homes.
Clima e change-induced mobili y:
The sea ch o poli ical solu ions
In he ace o s agna ing p og ess on cli-
ma e change, adap a ion o he impac s o
clima e change is inc easingly being dis-
cussed in in e na ional policy o ums such
as he annual COP – he annual con e -
ence o he Uni ed Na ions F amewo k
Con en ion on Clima e Change (UNFCCC).
Mig a ion is also inc easingly being dis-
cussed as an aspec o his adap a ion. In
he con ex o clima e change, mobili y can
also be associa ed wi h (im)ma e ial losses
o people, which is why i is o en dis-
cussed in clima e nego ia ions unde he
heading o clima e change- ela ed loss and
damage. Howe e , i mig a ion akes place
in a sa e, o de ly and egula manne , i can
se e as an adap a ion and isk-mi iga ion
s a egy and a leas expand he leeway o
people who a e pa icula ly ulne able o
he nega i e e ec s o clima e change. By
mig a ing, hese people can di e si y hei
household incomes in he long e m and,
h ough emi ances, help hei ela i es
who ha e been le behind o adap o
clima e change. Howe e , al hough in e -
na ional amewo ks such as he Global
Compac on Mig a ion (2018) and he P o-
ec ion Agenda o he Nansen Ini ia i e
(2015) emphasise mig a ion as a possible
adap a ion s a egy, he e is as ye no
in e na ional legal basis o binding policy
egula ion o his.
P o ec ion and egula o y gap
Thus, he e is a legal p o ec ion gap o
people who a e o ced o lea e hei homes
ac oss bo de s in he con ex o clima e
change impac s. Unlike people leeing
iolence and pe secu ion, hey ha e no
igh unde in e na ional law o p o ec ion
in he hos coun y. Howe e , adding
clima e mobili y o binding in e na ional
p o ec ion ins umen s, such as he na ow-
ly de ined Gene a Re ugee Con en ion,
would be legally di icul o implemen and
poli ically un ealis ic, as he cu en deba e
is mo e abou es ic ing e ugee p o ec ion
han expanding i . Fu he mo e, i is gen-
e ally almos impossible o iden i y clima e
change as he sole cause o displacemen .
This is ye ano he eason why i is o en
impossible o make a clea dis inc ion
be ween ca ego ies such as displacemen
e sus olun a y mig a ion, pa icula ly in
he con ex o clima e change.
In addi ion o he lack o p o ec ion
ins umen s, people who lea e hei home
coun y as a esul o clima e change a e
also denied o he mig a ion pa hways. Only
in a ew cases do mig a ion policy egula-
ions ake clima e change in o accoun ; one
o hese excep ions is a special isa ca ego y
ha Aus alia has in oduced o allow ul-
ne able ci izens o he Paci ic s a e o
Tu alu o en e he coun y o wo k and
s udy. Howe e , people mig a ing in he
con ex o clima e change o en ha e no
op ion bu o mig a e i egula ly, wi hou a
esidence pe mi and wi hou s a e suppo
in he hos coun y. In he absence o policy
amewo ks o sa e and egula mig a ion
pa hways, mig a ion can exace ba e ulne -
abili y in he con ex o clima e change, o
example by exposing people o exploi a i e
labou condi ions due o a lack o legal p o-
ec ion. Policy amewo ks a e needed o
ensu e his p o ec ion and o p omo e he
posi i e de elopmen po en ial o mig a-
ion. Regional ins umen s and ac o s a e a
possible s a ing poin .
Regional dimension
Clima e mobili y is a egional phenomenon.
I people do no lee en i onmen al change
in hei own coun y, hey end o mig a e
o neighbou ing coun ies. Ne e heless,
egional mig a ion go e nance e o s o
egula e c oss-bo de clima e mobili y a e
s ill in hei in ancy. One excep ion is he
Kampala Decla a ion, which was signed
by 11 Eas A ican coun ies in Uganda in
SWP Commen 7
Feb ua y 2025
3
2022. This is he i s egional amewo k
on mobili y in he con ex o clima e change.
In he decla a ion, he s a es exp ess hei
in en ion o wo k mo e closely oge he in
he a ea o c oss-bo de clima e mobili y.
This is also due o he ac ha he A ican
con inen is one o he a eas o he wo ld
mos a ec ed by clima e change and clima e
mig a ion. Depending on he scena io, up
o 5 pe cen o A ica’s popula ion could
ha e le hei homes by 2050 due o global
wa ming, and in he Ho n o A ica – he
egion mos a ec ed by clima e change –
he igu e could be as high as 10 pe cen .
A he same ime, mig a ion as an adap-
a ion s a egy is no exclusi ely a new
phenomenon in Wes and Eas A ica. Fo
example, pas o alis s ha e his o ically
engaged in ci cula mig a ion wi hin hese
egions in o de o ind sui able g azing
a eas du ing d ough s. O e all, in a-
egional mig a ion is al eady widesp ead in
bo h Wes and No h-Eas A ica. In 2021,
o example, a ound 90 pe cen o he 7.4
million mig an s in Wes A ica we e om
coun ies in he egion. This is pa ly due o
he ex ensi e ee mo emen o people
wi hin he membe s a es o ECOWAS.
Combining ee mo emen o
pe sons and clima e mobili y
Regional o ganisa ions can use ag eemen s
on he ee mo emen o pe sons o help
emo e obs acles o mig a ion, and hus
c ea e sa e mig a ion pa hways o hose
mos a isk in he con ex o clima e
change. The ex en o which egional ee
mo emen applies and can be used in he
con ex o en i onmen al change depends
la gely on he s uc u e o he ag eemen
and he p og ess o na ional implemen a-
ion.
Fi s expe iences
Ag eemen s on he ee mo emen o
pe sons do no usually e e explici ly o
en i onmen al o clima ic e en s. Ins ead,
hei main pu pose is o p omo e he
economic in eg a ion o a egion by acili-
a ing he c oss-bo de mobili y o people
o wo k, educa ion and ade. Ne e he-
less, he e a e al eady cases in which hey
ha e been used in he e en o na u al
disas e s. Fo example, he ag eemen s o
he Ca ibbean Communi y and Common
Ma ke (CARICOM) and he O ganisa ion o
Eas e n Ca ibbean S a es (OECS) p o ided
impo an mobili y oppo uni ies o people
leeing he e ec s o hu icanes. Du ing he
pa icula ly se e e 2017 hu icane season,
displaced pe sons we e able o use he
igh s g an ed by he ag eemen s o en e ,
se le and wo k in o he island s a es. In
addi ion, in some cases excep ions we e
g an ed o allow people o en e e en i
hey had los hei a el documen s. This
example shows how ee mo emen ag ee-
men s can be used in he con ex o clima e
change, p o ided ha hos coun ies a e
willing o make use o hem.
Po en ials and limi s using he
examples o ECOWAS and IGAD
The egional o ganisa ions ECOWAS and
IGAD illus a e ha ag eemen s on he ee
mo emen o pe sons ha e g ea po en ial
in he con ex o clima e change, bu also
ha e hei limi s. They ep esen s a es –
he o me in Wes A ica, he la e in he
Ho n o A ica – ha a e pa icula ly
a ec ed by clima e change. To assess he
po en ial o eedom o mo emen o c oss-
bo de clima e mobili y, h ee key c i e ia
based on he P o ec ion Agenda o he
Nansen Ini ia i e can be used: i s ly, egu-
la access o sa e e i o y; secondly, esi-
dence s a us and igh s in he hos coun y;
and hi dly, pa hways o pe manen esi-
dence in he hos coun y.
The membe s a es o ECOWAS and
IGAD ha e each concluded ag eemen s on
he ee mo emen o pe sons ha a e
simila ly comp ehensi e on pape – wi h
p o isions in he h ee a eas o en y,
employmen and pe manen esidence. The
ECOWAS ag eemen , concluded in 1979,
was o be implemen ed in h ee phases
( isa- ee en y, esidence and employmen ,
SWP Commen 7
Feb ua y 2025
4
business es ablishmen ) by 1995 wi h he
help o ou addi ional p o ocols. Visa- ee
en y o up o 90 days is la gely possible
wi hin he ECOWAS coun ies, and c oss-
bo de mobili y is common in he egion.
Howe e , aspec s o aking up employmen
and long- e m esidence ha e no ye been
ully implemen ed. IGAD is a an ea ly s age
wi h i s 2020 P o ocol on F ee Mo emen o
Pe sons, which has no ye been a i ied by
all membe s a es. Following he ECOWAS
model, he ag eemen is o be implemen ed
in ou phases – isa- ee en y, ee mo e-
men o wo ke s, igh o esidence and
business es ablishmen – by 2037.
In bo h egions, isa- ee en y is he e-
o e p o ided o all ci izens o membe
s a es o he espec i e o ganisa ion. No
jus i ica ion is equi ed o en y. Unlike
e ugee p o ec ion, he indi idual si ua ion
o each pe son does no need o be exam-
ined – his sa es people who lea e hei
coun y due o clima e change om un-
ce ain y and bu eauc a ic p ocedu es.
Howe e , po en ial cos s when c ossing he
bo de and he need o iden i y documen s
can be ba ie s o he mos ulne able,
especially i documen s ha e been los o
des oyed in he cou se o ex eme wea he
e en s.
In gene al, he ag eemen s o he wo
o ganisa ions also allow o employmen
in he des ina ion coun y. Howe e , access
o he labou ma ke may be es ic ed, o
example, i esidence o es ablishmen
pe mi s a e no g an ed. The IGAD ag ee-
men also p o ides o access o social secu-
i y sys ems in he hos coun y, such as
heal h ca e. Pe manen esidence, including
na u alisa ion, is in p inciple possible
unde bo h ag eemen s, bu i is a he
disc e ion o he espec i e hos coun y in
he egions. Howe e , such a long- e m
pe spec i e is pa icula ly impo an o
people who can no longe e u n o hei
home coun y due o i e e sible en i on-
men al impac s.
Bo h ag eemen s he e o e p o ide o
ex ensi e egula ions on en y, esidence
and se lemen . Howe e , hey also allow
membe s a es o suspend ee mo emen
unde ce ain condi ions and o e use
en y o ce ain g oups o people – o
example in he e en o a se ious h ea o
in e nal secu i y o i mig an s a e no
inancially sel -su icien . Coun ies could
make use o hese exemp ions, in pa icula
i he consequences o clima e change lead
o la ge-scale e ugee and mig a ion mo e-
men s. I is no unusual o en y op ions o
be es ic ed in ce ain si ua ions; Kenya,
o example, closed i s bo de wi h Somalia
in 2011 in he con ex o he d ough and
amine in he Ho n o A ica, ci ing na ion-
al secu i y conce ns as he eason. I he e-
o e depends on he poli ical will o he
hos coun ies whe he ee mo emen
s anda ds also apply in he e en o a c isis.
To minimise his isk, i would be use ul o
include clima e disas e s as a eason o
en y in he ag eemen s.
Unlike he ECOWAS ag eemen , he
IGAD ag eemen – he only ag eemen in
he wo ld o da e – explici ly akes clima e
change in o accoun . Acco ding o A icle
16, membe s a es should g an en y o
people seeking p o ec ion in ano he mem-
be s a e “in an icipa ion o , du ing o in
he a e ma h o disas e ”. As he concep
o disas e is e y b oad, his also includes
g adual en i onmen al changes. The ag ee-
men he e o e allows ci izens o he egion
o mig a e in ad ance o acu e wea he
e en s. This is an impo an signal in he
d ough -s icken Ho n o A ica. The con-
cep o disas e in he IGAD ag eemen
gi es poli ical isibili y o he challenges
associa ed wi h c oss-bo de clima e mobil-
i y and po en ially inc eases he obliga ion
o membe s a es o comply wi h s anda ds
on ee mo emen in he con ex o clima e
change impac s. Howe e , he IGAD ag ee-
men is s ill in he a i ica ion phase, and
he e has only been limi ed expe ience wi h
he applica ion o A icle 16. In gene al, i
can be said ha he mo e comp ehensi ely
ee mo emen is de ined in an ag eemen ,
he be e i can be implemen ed, he mo e
binding i is o he membe s a es and he
mo e oppo uni ies i can also o e in he
con ex o clima e change. A e y a - each-
ing ee mo emen would no necessa ily
SWP Commen 7
Feb ua y 2025
5
equi e a speci ic e e ence o clima e disas-
e s. Howe e , as such a deg ee o ee
mo emen is a e, i makes sense o include
he c i e ion o clima e disas e s in he
ag eemen s.
Ne e heless, e en he in eg a ion o
clima e change ulne abili y does no o e
comp ehensi e p o ec ion h ough ee
mo emen in he con ex o clima e change.
This is because nei he he IGAD ag eemen
no he ECOWAS p o ocols on ee mo e-
men a e binding o membe s a es unde
in e na ional law. This means ha people
leeing unde he amewo k o ee mo e-
men a e no legally en i led o he bene i s
o ee mo emen . Al hough bo h ag ee-
men s p ohibi mass expulsions, people
mo ing ac oss bo de s unde he ee mo e-
men o pe sons wi hin ECOWAS and IGAD
a e no undamen ally p o ec ed om
e oulemen o a eas ha a e becoming in-
c easingly uninhabi able due o he e ec s
o clima e change. Fu he mo e, he ag ee-
men s do no make a undamen al dis-
inc ion be ween labou mig a ion and
in olun a y displacemen , which is why
he p o ec ion needs o ulne able g oups
such as unaccompanied mino s a e no
sys ema ically iden i ied. This may mean
ha necessa y measu es such as humani-
a ian o psychosocial suppo canno be
gua an eed by o ganisa ions such as he
UN High Commissione o Re ugees
(UNHCR) o he In e na ional O ganiza ion
o Mig a ion (IOM).
As a consequence, ee mo emen
ag eemen s can acili a e he mobili y o
some indi iduals and g oups in he con ex
o clima e change, bu in no way eplace
e ugee policy ins umen s such as ese le-
men p og ammes o humani a ian isas.
Howe e , i ee mo emen p o ides an
addi ional mobili y op ion o hose who
a e able and ha e he means o mo e
independen ly and ake up wo k, i can
educe he bu den on e ugee p o ec ion
ins umen s. The ee mo emen o pe sons
should he e o e be suppo ed as one build-
ing block wi hin a se o di e en solu ions.
Implemen a ion hu dles
On pape , he ECOWAS and IGAD ag ee-
men s p o ide o ex ensi e ee mo emen .
Howe e , he implemen a ion o hese
ag eemen s is associa ed wi h high echni-
cal, inancial and human esou ce equi e-
men s o he membe s a es and has p o-
g essed e y di e en ly in he wo egions.
Whe eas ECOWAS s ands o a his o ically
e ol ed and success ul ee mo emen , bu
also o he lack o implemen a ion o
pe manen esidence oppo uni ies, in he
case o IGAD i is s ill unclea how success-
ully he ag eemen will be implemen ed.
A key challenge o he membe s a es o
ECOWAS and IGAD is o ansla e he e-
qui emen s o he ag eemen s in o na ional
legisla ion. The p o ision o a el docu-
men s o all ci izens and he echnical and
human equipmen equi ed a bo de pos s,
o example, a e p e equisi es o ensu e
sa e and o de ly en y and o he ee
mo emen o pe sons o unc ion. To make
ma e s wo se, he ag eemen s do no p o-
ide p ecise de ails on he indi idual s eps
o implemen a ion. Fu he mo e, he
egional o ganisa ions lack he capaci y and
au ho i y o assis membe s a es in imple-
men a ion, moni o p og ess and sanc ion
non-compliance. IGAD, o example, e-
cei es only a small p opo ion o i s und-
ing om he membe s a es – beyond ha
i is dependen on ex e nal unding.
A he sub- egional le el, con lic s and
co up ion a he bo de s can also hinde
he ee mo emen o people. Bu kina Faso,
Mali and Nige announced o lea e he
egional o ganisa ion in Janua y 2024 ol-
lowing mili a y coups and economic sanc-
ions imposed by ECOWAS. A he same
ime, as in o he egions o he wo ld,
A ican coun ies a e becoming inc easingly
scep ical abou opening bo de s and im-
mig a ion. Al hough he p o ocols on he
ee mo emen o pe sons ha e been a i-
ied, he e a e epea ed expulsions o
mig an s om he egion, e usals a in e -
nal bo de s and a bi a y bo de closu es
wi hin ECOWAS.
SWP Commen 7
Feb ua y 2025
6
The EU’s ex e nal mig a ion policy can
also be an obs acle o he ull implemen a-
ion o egional ee mo emen o pe sons
in A ica. In 2015, he EU began o de elop
pa ne ships wi h ansi and coun ies o
o igin in Wes and Eas A ica, among o he
hings o con ol and cu b mig a ion o
Eu ope. As pa o i s T us Fund o A ica,
o example, he EU concluded mig a ion
pa ne ships wi h E hiopia and Nige in
2016, which we e p ima ily aimed a co-
ope a ion in he a eas o i egula mig a-
ion and he eadmission o na ionals. This
ocus on es ic i e measu es, such as he
expansion o bo de acili ies and inc eased
con ols, has hinde ed a he han p o-
mo ed ee mo emen wi hin ECOWAS and
has con ibu ed o he c iminalisa ion o
c oss-bo de mig a ion. Fo example, he EU
has used in o ma ion campaigns o wa n o
he dange s o i egula mig a ion wi hin
he egion, bu i has no p o ided in o ma-
ion on he igh s and oppo uni ies ha
can accompany egula labou mig a ion
wi hin he amewo k o ee mo emen . In
addi ion, unde p essu e om he EU, he
Nige ien go e nmen banned he anspo
o mig an s o Libya and Alge ia in 2015,
e en i hey we e in he coun y egula ly
as ECOWAS na ionals. In gene al, such
coope a ion wi h indi idual A ican s a es
has he po en ial o sow mis us among
he membe s o egional o ganisa ions.
Go e nmen s may be aced wi h a choice
be ween ex e nal inancial suppo and
egional objec i es o he ee mo emen o
pe sons.
Recommenda ions
En i onmen al change h ea ens he li eli-
hoods o many people and poses eno mous
challenges, pa icula ly o coun ies in he
so-called Global Sou h. No leas wi h e-
ga d o clima e jus ice, indus ial coun ies
ha e a esponsibili y o suppo pa icula ly
a ec ed coun ies in dealing wi h clima e
mobili y. Fo mig a ion o succeed as a
s a egy o adap ing o en i onmen al
change, people should ha e as many op-
ions o mo emen as possible. Ag eemen s
on he ee mo emen o pe sons enable
lexible mobili y pa e ns such as sho - e m
and ci cula mig a ion, bu hey also c ea e
po en ial sus ainable p ospec s in neigh-
bou ing coun ies o hose unable o e u n
home due o i e e sible clima e damage.
In his way, ee mo emen can help o
close he exis ing egula o y gap in mig a-
ion policy in he con ex o clima e change.
Pa icula ly on he A ican con inen , whe e
he e a e al eady se e al such ag eemen s
and whe e he need o poli ical solu ions
o deal wi h he consequences o clima e
change is pa icula ly g ea , i can be o
g ea bene i o p omo e hese ag eemen s.
O e all, he ee mo emen o people bene-
i s he economic de elopmen and poli ical
s abili y o a egion and can make i mo e
esilien o he challenges o clima e change
– which is also in he in e es o Ge man
and Eu opean policy. Howe e , his equi es
ha he implemen a ion o he ag eemen s
be d i en o wa d, ha en i onmen al
aspec s as a cause o mobili y a e in eg a ed
and ha he ee mo emen o people in
A ica is no es ic ed by o he p io i ies in
Eu opean mig a ion policy.
S eng hen egional capaci ies o he
implemen a ion o ee mo emen . In he
case o he IGAD ag eemen , he con inua-
ion o he a i ica ion and implemen a ion
p ocess should be suppo ed; in he case o
ECOWAS, suppo could be gi en in pa ic-
ula o he implemen a ion o he compo-
nen s o he ag eemen ela ing o esidence
and pe manen s a us. To acili a e apid
implemen a ion in bo h cases, egional and
na ional e o s should be suppo ed whe e
he condi ions o mig a ion wi hin he
amewo k o he ee mo emen o pe sons
a e s ill lacking. Fo example, he ecogni-
ion o o eign p o essional quali ica ions is
an impo an p e equisi e o aking up
employmen and long- e m in eg a ion in o
he labou ma ke s o neighbou ing coun-
ies. Ge man mig a ion- ela ed de elop-
men coope a ion can make an impo an
con ibu ion he e, o example h ough he
p ojec “Imp o ing mig a ion and displace-
SWP Commen 7
Feb ua y 2025
7
men policies in he IGAD egion” (SIMPI II),
which has suppo ed he de elopmen o
he so-called IGAD Quali ica ions F ame-
wo k. This is in ended o s anda dise he
ecogni ion o quali ica ions ac oss he
egion and imp o e e ugees’ access o
na ional educa ion sys ems.
The secondmen o Ge man de elopmen
coope a ion s a o he ele an ECOWAS
and IGAD sec e a ia s could also be a use ul
s ep o suppo he implemen a ion o he
ag eemen s echnically and wi h pe sonnel.
Inc eased unding should be p o ided o
such ailo -made de elopmen -policy
measu es. In addi ion, inancial suppo o
egional consul a i e p ocesses on mig a-
ion (RCPs) on mig a ion policy issues –
such as he ECOWAS Mig a ion Dialogue
o Wes A ica (MIDWA) wi h a wo king
g oup on clima e mobili y – could help o
s eng hen exchanges on egula mig a ion.
A he same ime, hese dialogue o ums
p o ide a pla o m o s a es o ad ise on
he challenges o clima e mobili y; hey
also help o media e be ween con lic ing
na ional in e es s, and hus suppo he
consis en implemen a ion o he ee
mo emen o pe sons.
P omo e small-scale s eps in implemen a-
ion. In iew o he majo obs acles o he
ull implemen a ion o he ag eemen s,
small-scale s eps o a pe sonnel and ech-
nical na u e should be suppo ed. These
could ac as an implemen a ion ca alys o
he ECOWAS and IGAD ee mo emen
ag eemen s. In o de o imp o e in e -
go e nmen al coope a ion be ween he
ele an au ho i ies in he a eas o bo de
secu i y, adminis a ion, disas e manage-
men and accommoda ion, so-called s an-
da d p ocedu es we e de eloped in 2022
and 2023, o example in he egions o
Kenya bo de ing Uganda and E hiopia.
Suppo ed by he Uni ed Na ions Mul i-
Pa ne T us Fund, conc e e guidelines
we e de eloped based on scena ios o c oss-
bo de displacemen ollowing a clima e
disas e : o en y and admission, egis a-
ion and esidence, as well as suppo o
e u n o enewal o esidence pe mi s. In
his way, human and ins i u ional capaci-
ies, such as s a a bo de pos s, a e en-
abled o espond adequa ely in he e en
o a disas e in he long e m. The de elop-
men o s anda d p ocedu es should he e-
o e be ex ended o o he bo de a eas,
especially in egions ha a e pa icula ly
ulne able o clima e- ela ed disas e s.
Howe e , bila e al ag eemen s – such as
he isa ag eemen be ween Kenya and
E hiopia, whe he o malised o no – can
also ini ially egula e en y be ween indi-
idual coun ies in a egion, and hus
p o ide he i s building block o com-
p ehensi e egional ee mo emen . A s ep-
by-s ep app oach makes sense, as each s ep
speci ically expands he mobili y op ions
on he g ound.
Include clima e disas e s in ag eemen s.
Since ee mo emen ag eemen s usually
con ain excep ions ha allow hei p o i-
sions o be suspended, clima e disas e s
should be ensh ined in he ag eemen s as a
cause o mig a ion. A icle 16 o he IGAD
ag eemen can se e as a model he e, so
ha membe s a es ha e less oom o
manoeu e o suspend ag eemen s unde
ce ain ci cums ances. As in he case o
IGAD, whose ag eemen s he EU helped o
d a and nego ia e h ough i s T us Fund,
echnical and human esou ces could be
p o ided o ECOWAS o de elop addi ional
p o ocols ela ed o clima e disas e s. This
could build on he ECOWAS Regional Cli-
ma e S a egy 2022, which al eady iden-
i ies clima e mobili y as a key a ea o
ac ion. Howe e , o sus ainably p omo e
ee mo emen in he membe s a es o
ECOWAS and IGAD, he economic bene i s
o success ul mig a ion h ough egional
ee mo emen should also be emphasised.
O he wise, he in eg a ion o clima e change
conce ns may also make membe s a es
mo e eluc an o sign and consis en ly
implemen he ag eemen s. Using he
ag eemen s in he sense o mig a ion as
adap a ion o clima e change, bu wi hou
o e loading hem and he eby jeopa dising
hei implemen a ion, equi es a balancing
ac ha is as challenging as i is necessa y.
SWP Commen 7
Feb ua y 2025
8
Conside ing he ee mo emen o people
in he EU’s ex e nal mig a ion policy.
Al hough egional ee mo emen in he
IGAD egion is p omo ed by he EU, Eu o-
pean mig a ion policy can also un coun e
o he objec i es o he ee mo emen o
pe sons in A ica – as expe ience in he
ECOWAS egion has shown. In he in e es
o a cohe en ex e nal EU mig a ion policy,
ca e mus he e o e be aken o ensu e ha
he ee mo emen o pe sons p omo ed in
one place is no jeopa dised in ano he . In
his sense, mig a ion coope a ion o simila
ag eemen s should no be limi ed o indi-
idual pa ne coun ies, bu should always
conside he en i e egion. The possible
sho - e m ad an age o mig a ion coope a-
ion wi h indi idual coun ies mus be
weighed agains he long- e m de elopmen-
al and economic bene i s o well- unc ion-
ing egional coope a ion in gene al and
o he ee mo emen o pe sons wi hin
A ican egions in pa icula . In a si ua ion
in which Eu opean policy in A ica is in-
c easingly being con es ed, and a he same
ime he in luence o Russia and China on
he con inen is g owing, i is all he mo e
impo an o keep an eye on he in e es s
o egional o ganisa ions as pa o a pa -
ne ship policy and no o dis up well- unc-
ioning egional coope a ion.
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SWP
S i ung Wissenscha und
Poli ik
Ge man Ins i u e o
In e na ional and
Secu i y A ai s
Ludwigki chpla z 3–4
10719 Be lin
Telephone +49 30 880 07-0
Fax +49 30 880 07-100
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ISSN (P in ) 1861-1761
ISSN (Online) 2747-5107
DOI: 10.18449/2025C07
(English e sion o
SWP-Ak uell 64/2024)
D K is ina Ko e was an Associa e in he Global Issues Resea ch Di ision a SWP un il Decembe 2024.
Emma Landmesse is a Resea ch Assis an in he Global Issues Resea ch Di ision.
This SWP Commen was w i en as pa o he esea ch p ojec “S a egic Re ugee and Mig a ion Policy”,
unded by he Ge man Fede al Minis y o Economic Coope a ion and De elopmen .
