Will the departures from ECOWAS worsen the migration crisis in West Africa?. Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have much to lose if their departure from the economic bloc restricts the mobility of their citizens.

And it is very likely that informal migration will continue in any case. All three countries are led by military governments that seized power through a series of coups in August 2020 and May 2021 in Mali; September 2022 in Burkine Faso; and July 2023 in Niger. The three countries remain part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union.