Regionalism and the categorization of migrants in Africa – comparing ECOWAS and the SADC

Abstract This article examines the relationship between regional free movement frameworks and the political categorization of migrants in Africa through a comparative analysis of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Drawing on comparative regionalism and constructivist approaches, it explores how regional frameworks both shape and are shaped by the construction of migrants as “wanted” or “unwanted.” Empirically, the study combines document analysis of legislation and policy with semi-structured interviews conducted with policy actors and experts in both regions, focusing on Ghana and Nigeria (ECOWAS) and South Africa (SADC) as illustrative cases. The findings reveal a paradox in ECOWAS: despite an advanced free movement regime and references to a shared West African and pan-African identity, intra-regional migrants are constructed as economic liability and security risks. By contrast, the SADC lacks a coherent free movement framework and a corresponding category of regional citizenship, with migrant categorization primarily structured along skill and racialized notions concerning “African” migration. The comparison shows that free movement frameworks and migrant categorization are intrinsically linked, as constructions of migrants’ desirability along the axes of identity, economic utility, and security both foster and constrain the regionalization of mobility regimes. The article thus underscores the importance of migrant categorization for understanding the possibilities and limits of regional free movement in Africa.