Regional Economic Communities and Attitudes Toward Free Cross-Border Movement in Africa

Abstract

Contrary to narratives in the media, most African migrants move across borders within the continent, and most often to other countries in their immediate region. Drawing on a sample of roughly 43,000 people from 36 African countries, this article uses multilevel models to investigate the factors influencing support for either free cross-border movement or government restrictions on immigration. In contrast to previous studies, this article illuminates the substantial importance of regional economic communities within Africa and associated policies around mobility and labor market integration. Empirically, the quantitative results demonstrate that individual support for open borders is significantly higher in regional blocs with well-established free movement protocols and supportive policies, compared to those residing in blocs with more restrictive mobility and labor market integration policies. To better understand the country-level variation within these blocs, I draw on secondary literature to highlight the importance of certain economic, demographic, and security considerations, which likely both shape and reflect citizens’ attitudes toward open borders. This is a novel contribution to the public attitudes toward immigration policy literature, which has neglected the importance of regional frameworks even though they are a crucial instrument in determining national-level migration and integration policy within Africa and beyond.