A strategic consideration of the African Union Free Movement of Persons Protocol and other initiatives towards the freer movement of people in Africa

The document examines the African Union's efforts to enable the free movement of people across the continent, specifically focusing on the FMP Protocol. It identifies a significant gap between the rapid adoption of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and the slow ratification of the FMP Protocol, which as of December 2020 had only four ratifications. The author argues that upper-middle-income countries are reluctant to liberalize borders due to fears of uncontrolled economic migration and potential populist backlash in unequal societies. The paper analyzes regional experiences—noting the relative success of the East African Community (EAC) and the stagnation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) due to South African resistance—and suggests that the FMP Protocol's roadmap needs redrafting to include clear preconditions and asynchronous implementation paths.

• There is a stark contrast in the adoption of continental integration treaties: while 54 out of 55 countries signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) by early 2018, only 33 signed the Free Movement of Persons (FMP) Protocol, and only four countries—Rwanda, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, and Mali—had ratified it by December 2020.
• The slow ratification of the FMP Protocol is partly attributed to an ambiguous Implementation Roadmap, which some member states fear would trigger the immediate abolition of visa requirements (Phase One) without ensuring that national migration management systems are ready.
• Economic status strongly correlates with visa openness; low-income countries and small islands are the most liberal, while upper-middle-income countries are the most cautious due to fears of irregular economic migration and social instability in unequal societies.
• Regional experiences vary significantly: the East African Community (EAC) has made relative progress with e-passports and labor mobility, while the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has largely failed to progress beyond the initial right of entry despite having protocols for residence and establishment.
• In the Southern African Development Community (SADC), progress toward free movement has been hindered by the resistance of regional powerhouses, particularly South Africa, which prefers bilateral treaties over multilateral protocols to maintain sovereign control.
• The Inter-governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) has shown surprising progress in migration governance, driven by pressing security issues, the leadership of Ethiopia and Kenya, and significant financial support from the European Union.
• Several critical institutional 'preconditions' inhibit the commitment of wealthier African states, including inadequate civil registration and identity documentation, poor exchange of criminal data, and unreliable border management systems.
• The author proposes that the FMP Protocol should move toward 'asynchronicity,' allowing pairs or groups of countries to mutually open borders as they meet specific preconditions, rather than requiring simultaneous continental implementation.

APA

Hirsch, A. (n.d.). A strategic consideration of the African Union Free Movement of Persons Protocol and other initiatives towards the freer movement of people in Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WP_A-Hirsch_Regularising-migration-in-Africa_20210122-002.pdf

Chicago

Hirsch, Alan. A strategic consideration of the African Union Free Movement of Persons Protocol and other initiatives towards the freer movement of people in Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs, n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WP_A-Hirsch_Regularising-migration-in-Africa_20210122-002.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hirsch |first1=Alan |title=A strategic consideration of the African Union Free Movement of Persons Protocol and other initiatives towards the freer movement of people in Africa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WP_A-Hirsch_Regularising-migration-in-Africa_20210122-002.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hirschndstrategic, author = {Hirsch, Alan}, title = {{A strategic consideration of the African Union Free Movement of Persons Protocol and other initiatives towards the freer movement of people in Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WP_A-Hirsch_Regularising-migration-in-Africa_20210122-002.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }