Labour needs, foreign policy priorities, national and electoral political issues, public opinion and private lobbyist are among the factors determining migration policies regarding migration inflows or outflows. However, recently, public debates on much politicised, often controversial, migration issues are placing ever more emphasis on the security aspect. This atmosphere raises the problem of a better co-ordinated approach among European Union member countries and the (non) convergence of their nationally-based migration policies. Discussions are also being re-launched concerning bilateral agreements. These agreements should be examined for the impact they may have on dialogue between Europe and West Africa as well as in-between their States.

Europe is sometimes defined as a land of immigration, despite itself. With the progress of the regional integration process since the 1950s,1 it has become a magnet. Immigration was initially considered a temporary phenomenon. Security considerations subsequently took precedence while such issues as the “need for labour” and “social inclusion” were given little attention. Yet the trend towards demographic decline and population ageing has made them relevant (Withol de Wenden 2007). The European approach has gradually become richer and more complex in both conceptual and institutional terms. While it nevertheless attempts to incorporate other domains such as relations with third countries, development aid and employment and integration, the security paradigm remains dominant.

Discussions of intra- and extra-continental migration are now on the agenda in Africa. ECOWAS and African Union initiatives are reviewed below followed by an overview of West African national migration policies (more extensive research is necessary 1). By observing the relations between actors in the African mobility system, it is possible to analyse the relative consistency of bilateral and regional goals and commitments. This information will be useful to understanding the issues involved in a common African approach on migration.

This document has examined management instruments for migration issues concerning West Africa. The overview of the approaches and policies of OECD member countries that are destinations of West African migration reveal the following trends: