Heads of Immigration Services of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Member States Meet in Accra to Discuss the Implementation of ECOVISA

The ECOWAS Commission through the Directorate of Free Movement of Persons and Migration is organising the Seventh Heads of ECOWAS Member States Immigration Meeting in Accra, Ghana on 25 May 2023.

The objective of this annual meeting is to enable the Heads of Immigration Services to consolidate and expand on the recommendations reached after due consultations with Regional Experts and Stakeholders within the framework of the implementation of ECOVISA.  Specifically, the meeting is expected to validate the report of the report of the Experts Meeting which was held in Accra from 22 to 23 May 2023 and validate the proposed design specimen of the ECOVISA.

Recall that since the adoption of the flagship protocol, ECOWAS has been committed to ensuring a robust implementation of the Protocol of Free Movement of Persons through a harmonized approach. The creation of a secure environment for migrants and the removal of obstacles to ease mobility particularly for Community Citizens has been a top priority for Member States which requires a concerted effort from all key actors and stakeholders especially those in charge of migration in their respective countries. It is against this background that the Heads of Immigration platform was institutionalized to provide a common front for a harmonized implementation of all relevant texts relating to free movement and migration.

The Seventh Heads of ECOWAS Member States Immigration Meeting is to give a further boost and facilitate the implementation of the single visa (Schengen-type) system within the ECOWAS Space which is a top priority for the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.

The recommendations from the Seventh Heads of ECOWAS Member States Immigration Meeting will be cascaded for adoption by Sectoral Ministers.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).