The committees of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) focusing on Social Affairs, Gender and Women Empowerment, Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Political Affairs, Peace, Security, and the African Peer Review Mechanism (MAEP), along with Legal and Human Rights, and Trade Customs and Free Movement, have advocated for the elimination of the residence permit requirement among member states.
The joint committee presented their recommendation to member states and the ECOWAS Commission on Thursday in a draft report following their delocalized sessions in Banjul, The Gambia.
The ECOWAS Residence Permit, commonly referred to as the ECOWAS Residence Card, is a document provided to citizens of member nations who intend to reside in another ECOWAS country for an extended duration for purposes such as business, employment, or personal matters.
The establishment of the ECOWAS Residence Permit system was part of the ECOWAS Treaty, signed in May 1975.
The treaty aimed to foster economic integration and collaboration among West African nations, including provisions for the unrestricted movement of individuals within the region.
Nevertheless, the joint committee believes that the residence permit system hinders the free movement of citizens across the region.
The report, which would still go through plenary approval, stated in part that “the issuance of residence permits should be completely abolished in the region in conformity with the Community Text. “
The parliamentarians had previously expressed concerns about the failure to implement the ECOWAS free movement protocols at borders throughout the West Africa region.
In their recommendations, the joint committee has also advocated for the organization of comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate citizens and pertinent government officials about regional agreements, including the Protocol on Free Movement.
“The Free Movement Protocol should be made available to all Immigration Officers, especially at the border posts.
“All training programmes of Immigration and Customs officials should include training on the relevant Community Texts,” the draft report said.
The parliamentarians have also called for the assignment of officials at border posts to monitor, document, and report incidents of extortion and other forms of misconduct.
Furthermore, the report urged the ECOWAS Commission to ensure that their respective Member States effectively execute all Community Texts ratified by Heads of State and Government.
It emphasized the necessity for full adherence by Member States to the implementation of the ECOWAS Biometric Identification Card.
Additionally, the parliamentarians requested that the ECOWAS Commission and Parliament undertake review processes of all ratified Community Texts at the national level to reduce discrepancies between regional Texts and national legislation.
Earlier in the week, the joint committee facilitated a town hall meeting with stakeholders and an interactive session with border officials in The Gambia and Senegal to assess the degree of implementation of the ECOWAS free movement protocols and to identify the challenges obstructing their complete execution.
