ECOWAS parliament seeks tougher anti-trafficking laws to curb irregular migration

The ECOWAS Parliament has called on member states to create more jobs for young people, strengthen anti-trafficking laws and expand support for returnees as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle irregular migration across West Africa.

The recommendations emerged at the end of a Parliamentary Citizens’ Engagement on the Dangers of Irregular Migration and Modern Slavery held in Banjul, The Gambia.

Presenting the outcome of the engagement, member of the mission, Billay Tunkara, said the Parliament remained committed to advancing a people-centred approach to migration governance by ensuring that citizens’ views informed legislative action across the region.

“Such solutions require listening to communities, empowering young people, supporting survivors and returnees, strengthening families and creating opportunities that enable young people to choose hope, dignity and prosperity at home rather than the risks of irregular migration,” Tunkara said.

According to the Parliament, participants identified unemployment, underemployment, low incomes, limited access to education and vocational training, and inadequate economic opportunities as the major drivers of irregular migration.

The engagement found that many young people believed opportunities in their home countries were insufficient to secure a prosperous future, reinforcing the perception that migration remained the only viable route to improve their livelihoods.

Participants also identified family expectations, peer influence and social media as significant factors encouraging irregular migration, noting that stories and images portraying successful migrants abroad, coupled with financial support from relatives, continued to push young people to undertake dangerous journeys despite the known risks.

The Parliament said testimonies from returnees and survivors revealed the harsh realities of irregular migration, including deception, exploitation, forced labour, abuse, detention, family separation and severe psychological trauma.

However, participants agreed that survivors and returnees could play a vital role in discouraging irregular migration by sharing their experiences with communities.

The engagement also concluded that awareness campaigns alone would not solve the problem unless they were backed by sustainable employment opportunities, entrepreneurship support, vocational skills development, agricultural modernisation, improved access to finance and increased investment in youth empowerment.

Participants further called for stronger reintegration programmes for returnees and survivors, stressing that successful reintegration required psychosocial care, skills acquisition, livelihood support, job placement, community acceptance and protection against stigma.

They also expressed concern over the profitability of migrant smuggling compared with what they described as weak sanctions under existing laws, urging governments to strengthen legislation, improve enforcement and dismantle organised criminal networks involved in human trafficking.

Among its key resolutions, the Parliament urged ECOWAS member states to prioritise investments in technology, agriculture and vocational education to create sustainable jobs for young people.

It also called for enhanced cross-border cooperation, intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement against migrant smuggling and trafficking networks, as well as expanded access to affordable financing for young entrepreneurs, returnees and survivors seeking to rebuild their lives.

The lawmakers recommended greater investment in education, including technical and vocational institutions, and proposed integrating lessons on irregular migration and human trafficking into school curricula from primary to tertiary levels.

They further urged governments to improve border surveillance, accelerate immigration law reforms, strengthen anti-trafficking legislation and increase investment in communities most affected by irregular migration.

The Parliament also called for greater involvement of traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, the media and families in sustained public awareness campaigns aimed at discouraging irregular migration and countering misinformation.

It encouraged families to refrain from financing irregular migration and urged communities to support the reintegration of returnees and survivors, recognising their potential to serve as advocates against human trafficking.

The lawmakers also proposed institutionalising parliamentary engagements with students across ECOWAS member states to strengthen citizen participation, parliamentary oversight and evidence-based policymaking on migration and regional integration.

The Parliament said the consultations reaffirmed that irregular migration and trafficking in persons remained complex regional challenges requiring coordinated action by governments, parliaments, communities, civil society organisations, development partners and families.

It added that discussions held in Bakau, Brikama and Barra demonstrated that lasting solutions could not be achieved through law enforcement alone but required sustained socio-economic investments that offered young people viable alternatives to dangerous migration routes.