The role of migration policies in promoting Regional economic integration:A case of Keny

Abstract

Migration is of considerable importance to Kenya especially in advancing regional integration in East Africa. Migration policies have for a long time been associated with movement of people, labor and capital from one sovereign state to another. The policies have a great impact and influence on integration both at social level, political level and in economic spheres. It is the soundness of these policies that dictate how the integration process is achieved. The research examines, the role played by migration Policies in Promoting Regional Economic Integration particularly, focusing on policies enacted by the government of Kenya and how they influence regional economic growth and development. The research argues that, although significant progress have been made by the Kenyan government, through implementing migration policies that have facilitated regional economic growth and development in EA, many challenges remain. These challenges encountered by the government of Kenya in promoting regional economic integration in EA includes; the Kenya’s insecure, porous, unmanned and difficult terrain on and along borders resulting in difficult, ineffective control of entry and exit of persons, inadequate legislative and policy framework and weak enforcement of existing regulations. Thus, there is need to create a mechanism for promoting migration issues which could act as a catalyst for economic development in the region and at the continental level. This research analyzes the role of migration policies in Kenya in promoting regional integration in East Africa. Firstly, the research examines the significance and economic impact of migration into East Africa and capacity of Kenya’s migration policies in advancing regional economic integration. Secondly, the research highlights the various regional integration arrangements which are part and parcel of the present global economic order and specifically focusing, on EAC which have recorded a tremendous achievement in enhancing trade and development in the region. The general objective of this research is to examine the role of migration policies in Kenya in promoting regional economic integration in East Africa. The research design used in this study is descriptive and explorative research. The study involved mostly the use of open-ended questions for the primary data collection. The research site in this study is Kenya. For the purpose of this study, the target population is 120 respondents who included; civil servants, business entrepreneurs, custom officials, immigration official, civilians and academicians operating in Kenya. Purposive sampling approach will be used to ensure that reasonable representative sample is picked for the groups. A number of data collections methods will be used in this study and this includes an open ended questionnaire for the key respondents. Secondary data will also be used in addition to primary data.