Securitisation of migration in Africa

The report argues that framing migration as a security threat—driven largely by EU policies to stem migration to Europe—leads to restrictive border controls and the criminalisation of smuggling. Using Agadez, Niger, as a case study, the author demonstrates that these securitised approaches do not stop irregular migration but instead increase local insecurity, empower high-level smugglers, expose migrants to greater risks, and erode trust between citizens and governments. The document recommends shifting the narrative toward evidence-based migration management and expanding legal pathways for movement within Africa and between Africa and the EU.

• Securitisation of migration occurs when migration is framed as a security threat, leading to restrictive policies such as enhanced border controls, tighter visa rules, surveillance, detention, and deportation.
• European Union policies implemented in Africa, particularly after the 2015–16 migration 'crisis', have increased the securitisation of intra-African migration. Key mechanisms include the Joint Valletta Action Plan, the EU Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF), the European Neighbourhood Policy, and the activities of Frontex.
• African states also contribute to securitisation; upper-middle-income countries like Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, and Botswana often implement stricter visa policies due to fears of job competition and influxes from low-income countries. Additionally, refugees in countries like Tanzania and Kenya are increasingly viewed as national security threats.
• In Agadez, Niger, the securitisation of migration has led to five unintended consequences: increased insecurity for residents, the adaptation of the human smuggling industry, greater risks for migrants, potential regional destabilisation, and eroded citizen-government relations.
• Securitised interventions in Agadez have dismantled the local 'migration industry' without providing alternative income, which may drive residents toward radicalisation and recruitment by extremist groups like al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
• Restrictive policies have not stopped irregular migration but have forced it into more dangerous and expensive routes. While front-line Nigerien smugglers were affected, major actors with high-level government connections remained largely untouched, and Sudanese smugglers have filled the vacuum by creating routes through Chad and Darfur.
• The prevailing narrative that African migration to Europe is an 'invasion' is contradicted by data showing that 53.2% of African migration is intra-continental and sub-Saharan Africans make up only 12.9% of Europe's migrant population.

APA

Abebe, T. T. (2019). Securitisation of migration in Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar20.pdf

Chicago

Abebe, Tsion Tadesse. Securitisation of migration in Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2019. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar20.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Abebe |first1=Tsion Tadesse |title=Securitisation of migration in Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=December 2019 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar20.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{abebe2019securitisation, author = {Abebe, Tsion Tadesse}, title = {{Securitisation of migration in Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar20.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }