Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
34
Caught between Europe and Africa: The proliferation of regional initiatives
A number of regional initiatives to enhance cooperation between the European Union and
North African states have been created to manage migration flows. One example is the Rabat
Process, which was adopted in 2006. The process has continued semi-regular ministerial
meetings to create and implement programs managing migratory movements between the
continents.76 The Rabat Process has not come without criticism though. Algeria has boycotted
participating as a full partner due to accusations that the mechanism only serves European
security and economic interests.77
Based on the Rabat Process, the Khartoum Process was launched in November 2014 to
harmonize existing African Union and EU efforts concerning migration. The Khartoum Process
is notable in some regards as it includes not only North African states seen as traditional
transit countries, but also East African countries of origin, such as Eritrea and Somalia. While
the process has widely focused on the curtailment of irregular migration channels such as
smuggling and human trafficking, it has also sought to alleviate the “root causes” of migration,
through development aid targeting poverty, conflict and access to resources.78 This focus on
driving factors provides a more holistic approach towards alleviating forced migration.
However, the absence of Libya and the divergent interests of the party-states call into
question the process’s long-term viability as it exists now.79
The EU has been criticized for trying to “externalize” its border through the Rabat Process, the
Khartoum Process, and other bilateral agreements, providing programmatic support to bring
about legislative reforms and capacity building on migration management in participating
countries. However, this cooperation has had mixed results. For example, the European
Union’s partnership with Tunisia has brought little progress towards creating a functioning
protection regime in the country, and the EU’s focus on border management and security has
widely been criticized for violating the rights of asylum seekers and refugees.80
2.4. Forced Migration in West Africa81
Forced migration in West Africa tends to be driven by conflict and environmental factors, and
often takes place on top of traditional circular migration flows for economic reasons.
Humanitarian protection solutions for forcibly displaced populations have to some extent
drawn upon the region’s nomadic culture, by embedding protection in a larger policy of
regional economic integration. Through this experimental “protection through mobility”
framework, some refugees and asylum seekers have been granted the rights of entry,
residence, and establishment under the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol. This framework
76 One example of such an effort is the Seahorse Atlantic Network—a partnership between Spain, Portugal, and North
African countries (such as OIC members Morocco and Mauritania) to exchange information and prevent irregular migration.
Directorate-General of Migration and Home Affairs (European Commission), What we do: Africa, updated February 10,
2016
77 Cherti and Grant, The Myth of Transit: Sub-Saharan Migration in Morocco, 63
78 European Council on Refugees and Exiles, “Khartoum Process: EU and African Union launch Initiative against Smuggling
of Migrants,” updated December 5, 2014
79 Maximilian Stern, “The Khartoum Process: Critical Assessment and Policy Recommendations” (working paper 15, Istituto
Affari Internazionali, Rome, December 2015), 12
80 “EU Engagement with Third Countries: Pitfalls & Opportunities,” (paper prepared for EPIM Roundtable, Brussels,
September 29, 2015), 2
81 This report considers the West Africa region to include the following OIC member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Non-OIC
member states Ghana and Liberia are also included in the regional analysis.