Returning migrants: ECOWAS Parliament calls for reintegration programs

The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has adopted a resolution in Accra, Ghana, calling on member states to strengthen reintegration programs for returning migrants and victims of human trafficking, according to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS), as reported on September 25, 2026, by allAfrica.

A text born from a mission to Senegal

The resolution was presented by Senegalese MP Fatou Ba, following a parliamentary mission conducted in Senegal from July 13 to 17, 2026. Senegal is one of the main departure points for pirogues heading to the Canary Islands, a particularly dangerous migration route.

According to the APS, the text highlights that migrants who return home face unemployment, financial instability, stigmatization, and difficulties with social reintegration. Many return after having spent their family's savings and must face the judgment of those around them.

Training, listening, and funding

The parliamentarians recommend comprehensive support combining vocational training, psychosocial support, access to funding, and employment assistance. They also advocate for technical education programs in promising sectors: fishing, agriculture, tourism, the digital economy, the green economy, and creative industries.

The resolution calls for integrated national strategies to address the root causes of irregular migration, for the strengthening of protection for victims of trafficking, and for the sustainable management of fishery resources. This last point addresses the economic pressure faced by coastal fishing communities, who are often confronted with the depletion of fish stocks.

A supervisory role for elected officials

Finally, the ECOWAS Parliament wishes to exercise parliamentary oversight over migration and youth employment policies, and to establish regular exchanges between citizens and parliamentarians on regional issues. As the resolutions of the Community Parliament are not binding, their impact will depend on the willingness of governments to translate them into budgets and concrete programs. The stakes are high: offering West African youth prospects at home, and a dignified second chance to those who return.