Sierra Leoneans Back Regional Mobility Despite Resistance to Immigration

15 May 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Lucy Emmanette Alieu and Maame Akua Amoah Twum

Majority of citizens say they have considered emigrating.

Key findings

  • Two-thirds (66%) of Sierra Leoneans say West Africans should be able to move freely across international borders in order to trade or work in other countries. But one in three (33%) think the government should limit people's cross-border movement.
  • About eight in 10 respondents (82%) say that, in practice, crossing international borders is "difficult" or "very difficult."
  • Only 7% of Sierra Leoneans say they have heard of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
  • More than half (54%) of citizens see immigrants' economic impacts on Sierra Leone as positive, but a sizeable minority (39%) disagree.
  • Strong majorities say they would like or wouldn't mind living next door to foreign workers or immigrants (92%) or refugees (79%).
  • Even so, two-thirds (65%) of Sierra Leoneans say the government should reduce the number of foreign job seekers it allows to enter the country (55%) or eliminate such immigration altogether (10%).
  • An even greater majority (71%) favour reducing (60%) or eliminating (11%) entry by refugees.
  • Almost six in 10 respondents (57%) say they have considered leaving Sierra Leone.
  • This figure is highest among the most educated citizens (73%), the unemployed who are searching for jobs (72%), economically well-off people (65%), and youth (64%).
  • The most common reasons cited for potential emigration are finding better work opportunities (55%) and escaping economic hardship (34%).
  • The most popular destinations among potential emigrants are North America (59%) and Europe (16%).

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Migration is not an abstract issue in Sierra Leone. It is embedded in everyday life, from rural to-urban mobility to a diaspora whose remittances sustain households and contribute to the national economy (Integral Human Development, 2022). In recent years, migration has also become a prominent subject of public debate, shaped by concerns about irregular migration, labour mobility, and access to economic opportunities (Ani, 2025; Sesay, 2016).

Sierra Leone functions as a country of both origin and destination. As of 2019, it hosted an estimated 54,300 international migrants, the vast majority from West Africa, particularly Guinea, Liberia, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Ghana (Integral Human Development, 2022). Within the region, migration is closely linked to economic activity, especially trade and opportunities in the informal sector (Sillah, Tandian, Sow, & Faye, 2022).

Beyond these regional dynamics, Sierra Leoneans, particularly young people, increasingly see migration as a pathway out of unemployment. Aspirations to move abroad are often tied to the expectation of supporting families through remittances, which are an important source of household income and national revenue. In 2023, personal remittances to Sierra Leone amounted to about U.S. $293 million, equivalent to 6.1% of the country's gross domestic product (TheGlobalEconomy.com, 2024). At the same time, migration pathways are fraught with risks, reinforcing calls for stronger domestic job creation to reduce outward migration pressures (International Organization for Migration, 2024).

As a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Sierra Leone supports efforts to promote the free movement of people across West Africa. Although regional frameworks are intended to facilitate mobility for work and trade, practical barriers, including administrative hurdles and documentation requirements at border points, continue to constrain movement (Teye, Awumbila, Arhin-Sam, 2019; Jegen & Zanker, 2022). As the government seeks to better leverage its diaspora for national development, understanding citizens' perspectives on migration is vitally important (World Bank, 2023).

Findings from Afrobarometer's Round 10 survey (2025) reveal both strong support for regional mobility and significant reservations about immigration. A majority of Sierra Leoneans endorse the free movement of West Africans across borders for trade and work, though a similar share report that crossing borders is difficult in practice. While citizens overwhelmingly express tolerant attitudes toward foreign workers and refugees, majorities would prefer to reduce or even eliminate their entry into the country.

Meanwhile, more than half of Sierra Leoneans have considered emigrating, an inclination that is especially widespread among the most educated citizens, unemployed job seekers, and youth. Most potential emigrants are motivated by hopes for better employment opportunities and an escape from economic hardship, with North America as the most popular destination.

Lucy Emmanette Alieu Lucy Emmanette Alieu is media and communications officer for the Institute for IGR.

Maame Akua Amoah Twum Maame Akua is the communications manager at Afrobarometer

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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