By Mohamed Kamara
Despite decades of engagement since its establishment in 1975, ECOWAS continues to grapple with irregular migration, human rights concerns, trafficking, and governance challenges across member states.
In 2026, legal and medical experts met in Sierra Leone alongside a forum organized by the ECOWAS Office in Freetown to discuss irregular migration, human rights, domestic governance, and sustainable development. However, concerns persist that repeated engagements have yet to produce lasting solutions.
Speaking in a mobile interview, economist and migration researcher at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Alicante in Spain, Alieu Badara Turay, said ECOWAS continues to hold similar meetings across member states without achieving tangible results on the ground.
He noted that irregular migration in the 21st century is driven by long-standing structural issues, including inequality, ethnic tensions, unemployment, and political intimidation in some member states. According to him, the lack of effective cross-border regulatory and monitoring mechanisms continues to weaken regional responses.
Turay argued that many young people in ECOWAS states now see migration to Western countries as a more viable option than relying on regional initiatives that have yet to deliver measurable outcomes.
On human rights, he expressed concern over persistent violations across member states, describing them as widespread and systemic. He said constitutional principles such as “justice and equality for all” are often undermined by political, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic interests, leading to favoritism and nepotism.
He further warned that weak enforcement of legal frameworks and institutional accountability continues to deepen inequality and erode public trust in governance systems across the region.
