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Paper short abstract

This paper examines African agency and resistance in response to European externalisation policies that outsource migration control to African states. It argues that these policies not only undermine African countries' sovereignty but also provoke innovative strategies of resistance and negotiation

Paper long abstract

This paper examines African agency and resistance in response to European externalisation policies that outsource migration control to African states. It argues that these externalisation policies not only undermine African countries' sovereignty but also provoke innovative strategies of resistance and negotiation. While European actors frame migration primarily as a security threat, African states and migrants engage dynamically with these policies, exhibiting forms of proactive resistance, negotiation, and adaptation that challenge Eurocentric governance models. By centering African perspectives, the study highlights how states and regional actors navigate power asymmetries, asserting sovereignty in the face of external pressures. Drawing on qualitative case studies from West and North Africa—including instances of moratoria on deportations, delayed return agreements, and grassroots activism—the study highlights how African actors assert sovereignty and reshape migration governance amidst external pressure. Utilising a decolonial theoretical framework, the paper critiques the colonial continuities embedded in externalisation practices and emphasises the political and intellectual efforts by African states and civil society to reclaim migration governance. This research contributes to reimagining migration futures and policy frameworks that respect African sovereignty, support migrant rights, and promote regional cooperation. The findings underscore the need to move beyond Eurocentric narratives to acknowledge African agency as central to understanding and addressing global migration challenges.

Keywords: Decolonisation, Migration Governance, African Agency, Sovereignty, European Externalisation