ABSTRACT
In an overall effort to integrate social, economic and political spheres, the East African Community (the Community), through its Common Market Protocol, envisages free movement of goods and factors of production. This includes free movement of people within the territories of its members. The attainment of the goals of regional integration has been hampered by a lack of political will among the Partner States, a weak legal and institutional framework and a lack of public participation. There is, however, a less explored factor that directly affects integration in the region, and specifically free movement of people: stereotyping. Therefore, this chapter problematises the role of stereotyping in the implementation of integration laws and policies, specifically on free movement of people, and proposes practical solutions around migration management that give effect to the existing rules. To do so, the chapter explores the historical emergence of stereotypes in the Community, classifies them using the Stereotype Content Model and discusses their impact on the implementation of regional integration law and policy.
