The East African Community (EAC) has made notable progress in easing the movement of people across borders, placing it alongside West Africa’s ECOWAS as a continental leader. Yet, according to Alan Hirsch, Senior Research Fellow at the New South Institute and Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town, “there is still a long way to go” before free movement becomes a reality for all.
Alan’s new report, produced by the New South Institute, finds that unlike much of the global north, “the African continent is moving towards more open borders for people.” In East Africa, strong political will and regional cooperation have played decisive roles. The EAC’s Common Market Protocol, adopted in 2010, gives citizens the right to work, reside, and start businesses across member states, along with commitments to harmonize professional qualifications.
Success has been most visible between Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, where citizens can cross with just national IDs and access jobs easily. “Rwanda was one of the first countries on the continent to offer visa-free entry to all other African countries,” he noted, while Uganda is praised for its inclusive refugee policies.
However, progress has been uneven. Tanzania and Burundi still require passports, while newer members such as South Sudan, the DRC, and Somalia face additional restrictions due to governance challenges. Labor laws requiring work permits remain in place in some states, and the harmonization of education, health, and welfare systems has lagged, limiting cross-border job opportunities.
The East African Court of Justice has occasionally ruled in favor of free movement, but as Alan admits, “its ability to enforce the decisions is minimal,” particularly after amendments in 2007 weakened its powers.
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Non-state actors such as the International Organization for Migration and TradeMark Africa have been instrumental in building trust and implementing projects like the One-Stop Border Post program, which has eased trade and travel.
The report recommends concrete next steps that areharmonized data collection on mobility, reduced friction in remittances, improved identity and migration systems, expanded cross-border access to social services, and restoring the court’s authority.
Alan concludes that “incremental progress on mobility is possible despite issues in the fragile states,” though political and security instability remain the biggest barriers. The EAC’s experience shows that even in a region with complex challenges, open borders can be more than a vision — they can be a gradual, achievable reality.
