The Role of French Language in Facilitating Refugee Integration in Crossing Communities in Cross River State

Cross River State hosts communities of francophone refugees and migrants from Cameroon and Central African Republic who face linguistic barriers to social integration, livelihood access, and public service interaction in an Anglophone Nigerian context. The potential role of shared French language competence in facilitating integration between host communities and francophone arrivals has not been examined. This study investigates the role of French language in facilitating integration between host communities and francophone refugees in selected border communities in Obanliku and Obudu Local Government Areas of Cross River State. A qualitative research design was employed, with semi-structured interviews conducted with 38 community members from host communities, 25 francophone Cameroonian migrants or refugees, and 8 civil society workers supporting integration activities. Focus group discussions explored communication patterns, social interaction barriers, and perceptions of French language as an integration resource. Results reveal that French functions as an important bridging medium in communities where host community members have basic French from secondary schooling, enabling more substantive interaction than is possible through body language or trade pidgins alone. However, the majority of host community members lack sufficient French for meaningful daily interaction, limiting integration to superficial commercial exchanges. Civil society workers with French competence were identified as critical integration facilitators but insufficient in number. Recommendations include short-cycle French communication courses for community integration workers and support for Alliance Francaise outreach activities in Obanliku. Keywords: French language, refugee integration, Cross River State, Cameroon migrants, border communities