Pan-Africanists decry European border externalisation in Africa
Pan-Africanist scholars and migration experts have criticized European border externalization policies, arguing they dehumanize African migrants and exacerbate regional instability. The group suggests that if external migration is restricted, African nations should prioritize internal freedom of movement and address economic job-creation gaps.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing geopolitical tension between European migration control policies and the developmental aspirations of African nations.
A group of Pan-Africanists and migration scholars have criticised the growing externalisation of European border controls in Africa, warning that the policy is worsening the movement challenges faced by Africans both within and outside the continent. The concerns were raised at an online webinar held on Saturday, September 5, 2026, where participants examined the implications of border externalisation for African migration and development. Read Also: Drama in Rivers as Wike engages Amaechi in battle of wits Presenting the lead paper, titled: “Who controls Africa’s Borders? The EU’s Migration” a migration journalist and migration researcher Innocent Duru said European border externalisation had contributed to the dehumanisation of Africans attempting to migrate to Europe. According to him, Africans travelling through the Sahel and North Africa, particularly those passing through Libya, face severe dangers and abuses in their attempts to reach Europe.
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