A typology of resistance: the ‘hot potato’ of European return in West Africa

Abstract

Forced returns from Europe are politically highly sensitive across West Africa. Yet, there is enormous pressure from the European Union on West African governments to improve cooperation on returns. This paper seeks to answer how countries such as Nigeria, Senegal and The Gambia are resisting this pressure. Based on 129 qualitative interviews on both continents, the paper develops a typology that shows that states use a range of responses in the face of external and domestic pressures. These range from reluctant compliance to both reactive and proactive incompliances. States are likely to use all these strategies at different times, sometimes simultaneously. Thus, countries are resisting return, albeit in subtle ways given their asymmetric bargaining position.