Author(s) :

IMOH Clement Ita.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Irregular migration and refugee crises have emerged as some of the most significant non-traditional security challenges confronting the international community in the twenty-first century, generating complex humanitarian, governance, and security concerns that transcend national boundaries. This study examines irregular migration and refugee crises as emerging non-traditional security threats and evaluates their implications for human security and regional stability, with particular reference to Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, and the West African sub-region. The study adopts a qualitative research design relying on documentary analysis of scholarly literature, policy documents, and reports produced by international and regional organizations. Guided by Human Security Theory and Securitization Theory, the paper critically examines the structural drivers of irregular migration, the evolving securitization of migration governance, and the multidimensional consequences for both source and host countries. The findings reveal that irregular migration is primarily a manifestation of persistent human insecurity arising from conflict, poverty, environmental degradation, and weak governance, while increasingly being framed by states as a national security concern requiring extraordinary policy responses. The study argues that migration governance should move beyond traditional border-control approaches towards integrated strategies that simultaneously promote human security, regional cooperation, and sustainable development, and proposes an Integrated Human Security Governance Framework that balances legitimate state security interests with humanitarian obligations. The paper recommends strengthening governance institutions, addressing the structural drivers of forced migration, enhancing regional cooperation through ECOWAS and the African Union, modernizing border management, and adopting evidence-based migration policies capable of promoting both human security and regional stability. Keywords: Irregular Migration; Refugee Crises; Human Security; Non-Traditional Security; Regional Security Governance.

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