Elvis Ng'andwe
Globalisierung
Titel des Promotionsprojektes
“Exploring the Nexus between Regional Integration and Refugee Protection in the East African Community.”
This doctoral research investigates the nexus between regional integration and refugee protection within the East African Community (EAC). Despite significant legal frameworks under the EAC Treaty and the Common Market Protocol that support refugee mobility and coordinated governance, implementation across member states remains fragmented and inconsistent. The study aims to critically assess how regional mechanisms; such as policy harmonization, legal instruments, and multilevel governance impact refugee protection in Uganda, Kenya, and the EAC Secretariat. Using a mixed-methods approach, including case studies, policy analysis, and semi-structured interviews, the research applies Global Public Goods Theory and multilevel governance as analytical lenses to understand the regional dynamics of forced migration. It interrogates the extent to which national policies align with regional commitments, exploring factors such as political will, securitization of migration, and institutional capacity. The study identifies the persistence of nationalism, legal asymmetry, and weak enforcement mechanisms as key obstacles to operationalizing regional refugee protection. By examining how disparities between Uganda’s relatively progressive refugee policies and Kenya’s restrictive frameworks shape regional responses, the project evaluates the feasibility of a coordinated EAC asylum policy. Ultimately, the research contributes to migration governance scholarship and offers policy recommendations to strengthen collective, rights-based approaches to refugee protection in the East African region.
This PhD project adopts a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative techniques to ensure a comprehensive understanding of refugee governance within the EAC. Quantitative data collected from surveys and institutional records will be processed using SPSS, allowing for descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Qualitative data; drawn from interviews, focus groups, and policy documents; will be managed and analysed using MAXQDA, with an emphasis on open and thematic coding. Themes will be inductively and deductively derived to uncover patterns, contradictions, and actor dynamics across governance levels. Throughout the analysis, findings will be interpreted through the lens of Global Public Goods theory, assessing how refugee protection functions, or fails, as a non-rivalrous, non-excludable regional responsibility. Milestones of the project include a literature review and theoretical framework (Year 1), fieldwork and data collection (Year 2), data analysis and drafting of findings, followed by final write-up and submission (Year 3). The project seeks to inform both academic and policy debates by assessing the feasibility of a regionally coordinated asylum framework and proposing actionable recommendations for enhancing refugee protection within the EAC through stronger governance mechanisms and institutional alignment beyond political rhetoric.
Kontakt:
chanijr@gmail.com
Lebenslauf:
Academic:
- MA in International Relations and Peace Studies, Catholic University of Eastern Africa (2015-2017)
- Diploma in Theology, Tangaza University, Nairobi-Kenya (2014-2015)
- Post Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice, Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (2009-2010)
- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Tumaini University, Makumira Campus, Arusha-Tanzania (2005-2008)
- Bachelor of Philosophy, Pontifical Urban University (2002-2005)
Berufserfahrung:
- Executive Secretary: Africa-Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN), November 2023 - Present
- Director of Research & Legal Counsel: Faith & Encounter Research Centre (FENZA), January 2023 - November 2023
- Litigation
- Developed strategic plans and research proposals
- Supervised research programs on migration, refugees, and human trafficking in Zambia
- Research Assistant, Prof. Dr. Mathias Sahinkuye, African Institute of International Law, 2019 - 2022
- Assistant Lecturer, University of Iringa, Tanzania, 2018 - present
- Director, Center for Social Concern and Child Protection Policy, Tanzania, 2017 - 2022
- Human Rights Officer, Mission Catholique, Niamey-Niger, September 2012 - 2015
- Assistant Legal Practitioner, NHARI MUSHEMI & ASSOCIATES, Lusaka-Zambia, October 2008 - February 2011
Beginn des Promotionsprojektes: since March 2025
Publikationen:
- Book Chapter: "Ethics of War: The Unfinished Business," Amazon.com.
- Article: "Winners and Losers on Quitting the International Criminal Court (ICC)," Academia.edu.
Vorträge und Konferenzbeiträge
- 5th Conference of the German Network for Forced Migration Studies "Exploring the Nexus between Regional Integration and Refugee Protection: A Case Study of the East African Community."
