Session 14.1

• Author 1: Eyob Esatu, Organization For Innovation and Sustainable Development Africa, Executive Director 

• Author 2: Dr. Abraham Asha, African Union Commission, African Migration Policy Senior Expert

The present trend and nature of migration is more dominated by people’s mobility for education, looking for jobs and improved livelihood. Rural-urban migration is the grandest form of human movements across geographies of Africa. The objective of the study is to analyze the migration policy gridlocks and how navigating African agency of migration governance can safeguard social safety, human security and free movement of people that account 80% of population. A qualitative research design method and random sampling techniques were employed in undertaking this study. The research is established evidence from key informant interviews, case studies and focus group discussion with policy actors used as the primary data sources whereas review of published scholarly journals, analyzing migration policies and proceedings of African migration governance initiatives were critically investigated to conduct this research. Innovative case analysis of Ethiopia has been integrated into the current migration prospectus of Africa. The study on population explosion analysis shows that African population will account 2.5 of the 9.8 billion (1⁄4 of the world’s population) by 2050 (UNDESA, 2022). The demographic divide of Africa’s population have asserted the African governments stipulate Migration Policy Framework in 2006 for safe, secured and free movement of people within the continent and across the regions. Meanwhile EU resorted to externalization policy of border control that has had a significant negative impact on the AU free movement policy adversely. Consequently, gender segment of human migration context explicate the worst scenario and unique dimension of population movement of young girls and women to Gulf Regions and the Middle East countries from Africa. This cluster of migration is more informal driven by illegal agents made it socially unsafe highly violating the UN conventions on human rights threatened human dignity of citizens. On the other hand, the Khartoum Agreement is a decree against Ethiopian citizens free movement hindering VISA to labor migration to Europe can be taken as an adverse policy outcome. In 2006, it adopted the Migration Policy Framework and the African Common Position on Migration and Development, while in 2016 EU officially ratified the Externalization Policy in Africa that control borders. Accordingly, the 2018-2027 Action Plan advocates economic integration, political union and the free movement of people and goods aligning the AU 2063 Agenda. The study confirmed 20% of African states adapted national migration strategy and inter-ministerial coordination mechanism on free movement of people, social safety and human security (IOM, 2024). Regionally, the state of access to social services regardless of the legal status of migrants, West Africa account 61%; Southern Africa 50%; North Africa 100%; East Africa 44% and Central Africa 67%. This indicates there observed improved paces of positive premises on the migration prospectus of Africa implying migration governance in Africa should be strengthened to realize continental security, human safety and sustainable development. Consequently, EU externalization policy has to be coherent with AU free movement protocol to enable the continental migration policy function realized without any controversial policy outcomes. Therefore, EU has switch its policy initiatives from funding for border control and returnees incentives towards holistic sustainable development financing model that can threat root causes of migration like poverty, unemployment and climate change impacts shall strengthen mutually benefiting future partnership between EU and Africa.

Key Words: African, Migration Policies, African Agency, Governance, Free movement, EU Externalization

Exploring the nexus of climate vulnerability, marginality and migration in Gilgit Baltistan

This research situates the notion of ‘migration’ in the aftermath of glacial lake outburst flooding (GLOF) in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan.  Gilgit Baltistan —a region in North Pakistan that is in constitutional limbo —lies at the mountain belt of Himalayas with some of the world’s largest glaciers outside of the polar region. Climate change has posed formidable challenges to the fragile mountain geographies of Gilgit Baltistan in the form rapid melting of glaciers and heatwaves.

Gilgit Baltistan has experienced a number of natural calamities in the past in the form of floods, landslides, and earthquakes which shaped the cultural and physical geography of the region. However, in recent years, human-induced climate change has been adversely impacting communities through the rapid melting of glaciers and unusual weather patterns. These changes have caused great distress, as people are experiencing unprecedented transformations in their environment. For instance, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) have caused unimaginable damage and losses to the local people of Gilgit-Baltistan.

In this situation, there is no government support for the people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In 2025, various regions of Gilgit-Baltistan were affected by devastating floods that displaced many people. The displaced populations—who have lost their livelihoods and homes—lack the resources or support needed to move to safer places. Therefore, I am keen to investigate how the nexus of marginality and climate vulnerability shapes people's perceptions of migration.

People in Gilgit-Baltistan have long migrated to urban areas for education and livelihoods. Similarly, in the past, people also migrated to other regions within Gilgit-Baltistan in search of water and fertile land. Migration, therefore, is not a new phenomenon for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. However, it is important to consider how the notion of climate change—along with its impacts and political marginality—reshapes people’s perceptions of migration in Gilgit-Baltistan.