DO THE COMESA, EAC AND SADC MIGRATION REGIMES FALL WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA?

The research examines the fragmented nature of migration regulation across three African regional economic communities (RECs)—SADC, EAC, and Comesa—and their integration into the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). While the EAC has made significant progress in ratifying and implementing protocols for the free movement of labour and persons, SADC and Comesa suffer from low ratification rates and a tendency to treat economic migration as a national security threat. The document highlights that the TFTA, which covers 26 states with a combined GDP of $1.2 trillion, requires the removal of migration barriers to achieve its market integration goals. Case studies of Tanzania and Rwanda illustrate the tension between regional liberalisation and domestic protectionism, as well as the benefits of an economically driven migration policy. The authors argue that for the TFTA to succeed, RECs must move beyond a security-centric approach and link migration policies to economic imperatives.

• The East African Community (EAC) is the most integrated of the three RECs regarding the movement of persons, having progressively ratified and implemented its Common Market Protocol, which allows for the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labour.
• In contrast to the EAC, SADC and Comesa have struggled with the implementation of migration protocols, with many member states failing to ratify them or using domestic statutes to limit their effect under the guise of national security.
• SADC's approach to migration is heavily securitised, with the movement of persons managed by the Organ on Politics, Security and Defence, which often views economic migrants as security threats.
• Comesa's migration regime is characterised by uneven compliance; while it adopted a Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Labour, Services, Right of Establishment and Residence in 2001, only Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe have signed it.
• The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) is projected to be the continent's largest free trade area, encompassing 26 African states with a combined population of 632 million and an estimated GDP of $1.2 trillion.
• Rwanda serves as a model for linking migration to economic development by simplifying visa procedures and waiving work permit fees for EAC citizens to attract skilled professionals and investors.
• Tanzania demonstrates the tension between regional and domestic policy by implementing protectionist measures, such as reserving certain service sectors for locals and prohibiting foreigners from owning land.
• The African diaspora provides significant economic support to the continent, contributing $66 billion annually to support approximately 120 million families.
• South Africa's 2017 White Paper on International Migration attempts to balance economic development, national security, and constitutional obligations, moving toward a framework that links migration with the country's economic needs.

APA

LANGALANGA, A., & NCUBE, M. C. (2018). DO THE COMESA, EAC AND SADC MIGRATION REGIMES FALL WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA? South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/saia_sop_276_langalanga-ncube_20180308.pdf

Chicago

LANGALANGA, AZWIMPHELELI, and MGCINI CHARISMA NCUBE. DO THE COMESA, EAC AND SADC MIGRATION REGIMES FALL WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA? South African Institute of International Affairs, 2018. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/saia_sop_276_langalanga-ncube_20180308.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=LANGALANGA |first1=AZWIMPHELELI |last2=NCUBE |first2=MGCINI CHARISMA |title=DO THE COMESA, EAC AND SADC MIGRATION REGIMES FALL WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA? |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/saia_sop_276_langalanga-ncube_20180308.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{langalanga2018comesa, author = {LANGALANGA, AZWIMPHELELI and NCUBE, MGCINI CHARISMA}, title = {{DO THE COMESA, EAC AND SADC MIGRATION REGIMES FALL WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/saia_sop_276_langalanga-ncube_20180308.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }