Xenophobia and the Prospects of Regional Integration in Africa

Globally, the tide of migration has distorted the socio-economic and political landscape of nation- states. In Africa, rising migration has been expressed through diverse modes of xenophobia. Literature abound on xenophobia in Africa and its manifestations; however sparse studies have linked xenophobia with regional integration in Africa, vis-à-vis- the response of the African Union (AU) to extreme nationalism and anti-immigration acts. While the AU and member-states have invested significantly in security, Africa is far from secure. Aside from the conventional conflict that confronts post-colonial Africa, resurgence of xenophobia continues to threaten regional security and impede the actualization of the much-coveted United States of Africa. Through desktop research and case-studies, the article engages on xenophobia, evaluates its reality in Africa and explores the place of African Union in curtailing xenophobia. The article acknowledges AU's efforts to confront xenophobia through the enactment of pro-migration regional policy frameworks; however, xenophobia persists due to the complex nature of the regional body and complicity of the drivers of African regionalism.