This research paper seeks to demonstrate the strong relationship between the persistence of border disputes among African countries and the worsening levels of forced and irregular migration, as well as asylum. The study adopts the realist approach to analyze the migration reality in West Africa by considering the state as the unit of analysis. The paper concludes that the state-centric view of the migration issue remains the main reason behind its aggravation, due to the mismatch between political borders and the tribal map in West Africa.

Border disputes, West Africa, forced migration, the state