ECOWAS Lawmakers push for abolition of Residence Permit system

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)’s committees on Social Affairs, Gender and Women Empowerment, Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (MAEP), Legal and Human Rights, Trade Customs and Free Movement have called for the abolition of residence permit.

On Thursday, the joint committee made this call to member states and the ECOWAS Commission in their draft report at the end of their delocalised sittings in Banjul, The Gambia.

The ECOWAS Residence Permit, also known as the ECOWAS Residence Card, is a document issued to citizens of member countries who wish to reside in another ECOWAS country for an extended period for business, employment, or personal reasons.

The ECOWAS Residence Permit system was established as part of the ECOWAS Treaty, which was signed in May 19751. This treaty aimed to promote economic integration and cooperation among West African states, including provisions for the free movement of people within the region.

However, the joint committee is of the opinion that the residence permit system is constituting a hindrance to the free movement of citizens within the region.

“The issuance of residence permits should be completely abolished in the region in conformity with the Community Text, the report which would still go through plenary’s approval stated in part.

The parliamentarians had earlier lamented the non-implementation of the ECOWAS free movement protocols at borders within the West Africa region.

As part of the recommendations, the joint committee has also called for the staging of robust sensitisation campaigns to educate citizens and relevant government officials on regional texts such as 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 also demanded the deployment of officials at border posts to observe, record and report incidences of extortion and other malpractices.

The report also called on the ECOWAS Commission to “ensure that all signed Community Texts by Heads of State and Government are implemented by their Member states”.

“Ensure the full compliance of Member States in the implementation of the ECOWAS Biometric Identification Card,” it added.

Besides, the parliamentarians want the ECOWAS Commission and Parliament to conduct review exercises of all signed Community Texts at the national level in order to minimise the level of contradictions between the regional Texts and national laws.

The joint committee had earlier in the week organised a town hall meeting with stakeholders and an interactive session with border officials in the Gambia and Senegal to know the level of implementation of the ECOWAS free movement protocols and the challenges hindering their full implementation.