AU Renews Push for Free Movement Protocol Amid Ratification Delays

Accra: The African Union Commission (AUC) has stepped up efforts to galvanize member states to ratify and implement the AU Free Movement of Persons Protocol. The call was made during a four-day strategic coordination meeting held in Accra from July 1 to July 4, 2025.According to Ghana News Agency, the meeting was hosted by the Government of Ghana and convened senior government officials from 13 African Union (AU) Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), and key development partners. The gathering aimed to address the slow ratification of the protocol, which is central to achieving continental integration under Agenda 2063 and the Abuja Treaty.The Protocol, adopted in 2018, is designed to guarantee the right of African citizens to enter, reside, and establish businesses in any AU Member State. However, only four out of 55 Member States have ratified the Protocol, far below the 15 required for it to come into force. Ambassador Amma A. Twum-Amoah, AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, emphasized the necessity of the meeting, highlighting its role in making the Protocol a reality. She noted, "We cannot have a true African Continental Free Trade Area if people cannot move with their goods."Participants in the meeting engaged in experience-sharing activities, including visits to Ghana's Akanu Border Post at the Togo frontier and the Kotoka International Airport to observe the country's border and immigration management systems. Ambassador Twum-Amoah commended Ghana's leadership in promoting Pan-Africanism and regional integration, noting its exemplary open visa policies and strong immigration systems.Ghana was chosen as the host due to its strong track record in visa openness and its pivotal role in ECOWAS's free movement framework. Ghana is ranked among the top ten countries on the 2024 African Visa Openness Index, alongside Rwanda, The Gambia, Seychelles, and Mauritius, who were also represented at the meeting to share best practi ces. Professor Margaret Kamar, a Kenyan Senator and Member of the Pan-African Parliament's Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration, stressed the link between mobility and trade, pointing out Rwanda's success in boosting tourism and revenue by lifting visa restrictions.Key concerns discussed included security, loss of revenue from visas, and fears of mass migration. However, delegates from Rwanda and The Gambia argued that well-managed free movement could strengthen border control, enhance economic opportunity, and build mutual trust. Rwanda's experience showed an increase in tourism and service revenue following the removal of visa requirements, challenging the myths of economic loss.A major outcome of the Accra meeting was a resolution to establish a continent-wide platform for Heads of Immigration Services. This platform will facilitate regular dialogue, cross-border cooperation, and data-sharing mechanisms essential for coordinated implementation. The AU Commission also pledged to provide technica l assistance to Member States needing support to ratify and domesticate the Protocol.Sessions during the meeting underscored the need for harmonized immigration, labour, and commercial laws across the continent. Delegates agreed to adopt a phased implementation strategy as outlined in Strategy four of the AU Protocol's Implementation Plan, which includes legal reviews, capacity-building, and pilot initiatives at border points. The AU expects that by December 2025, the number of ratifications will reach the 15-country threshold required to bring the Protocol into legal force.In preparation, Member States committed to legislative action and building public awareness to dispel misinformation surrounding the Protocol. Assistant Commissioner of Immigration, Samuel Bilson, remarked, "This process is not about opening floodgates - it is about creating structured, safe, and beneficial pathways for movement." He further stated, "Africa is already moving. Now, it's time to make it official, coordinated, and sustain able."