More than borders

The report assesses the impact of EU migration interventions in the Sahel, specifically in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. It finds that the EU's focus on deterring northbound migration to Europe through border reinforcement and funding-based policies has prioritised security over human protection, undermined regional free movement, and ignored a massive internal displacement crisis. The author recommends a shift toward area-based assistance and a strategic recalibration that prioritises the needs of displaced persons over the goal of curbing irregular arrivals in Europe.

• The EU employs a route-based approach to migration in the Sahel designed to deter northbound travel toward North Africa and the Central Mediterranean Route by targeting migrants 'at the source'. The report argues this approach is inadequate because it focuses on destinations rather than the vulnerabilities or needs of the people moving.
• EU interventions have conflated security and migration objectives, leading to the securitisation of migration policies in the Sahel. This is evidenced by the expansion of the EU Capacity Building Mission in Niger (EUCAP) in 2016 to include the fight against irregular migration, which increased funding but showed limited implementation results.
• The EU's migration strategy fails to address the severe displacement crisis in the Sahel, where conflict has displaced over 2.5 million people in the last decade, including 2.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). The report notes a paradox where the instability driving this displacement is the same factor that motivates EU engagement in the region.
• EU-funded efforts to curtail irregular migration have prioritised returns and border protection over the protection of people on the move. This has encouraged Sahelian governments to adopt securitised policies that align with their own security interests, often at the expense of regional and continental migration frameworks.
• The reinforcement of national borders, encouraged by EU policies, has impeded regional mobility and undermined the ECOWAS 1979 Protocol on Free Movement. This has led to increased extortion of migrants by security forces and forced migrants to use more dangerous, less-policed routes often controlled by armed groups.
• In Niger, the 2015 law against migrant smuggling, developed with EU and UNODC support, has criminalised the attempt to migrate irregularly and the 'irregular exit' from the country. This has severely impacted the local economy in the Agadez region and increased reliance on smugglers.
• Deportations from North Africa, particularly Algeria, to Niger have intensified. Between January and March 2023, the group Alarme Phone Sahara estimated over 10,000 people were returned to Niger, often left at 'point zero' in the desert with extremely limited humanitarian aid.
• The EU's approach is described as 'governing migration through funds,' using short-term funding channels like the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) rather than a long-term strategic vision.
• The EU's focus on Niger as a primary partner for migration cooperation is viewed as targeting 'low-hanging fruit'. This ignores the fact that many migrants in Libya use sea crossings to escape violence and extortion within Libya, rather than simply transiting through Niger.

APA

Fakhry, A. (2023). More than borders. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR-43.pdf

Chicago

Fakhry, Alia. More than borders. Institute for Security Studies, 2023. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR-43.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fakhry |first1=Alia |title=More than borders |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=July 2023 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR-43.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fakhry2023more, author = {Fakhry, Alia}, title = {{More than borders}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR-43.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }