International Migration Policy and the Management of the Nigerian Refugee Crisis in Borno State

This study examines the international and domestic migration policy frameworks governing the management of internally displaced persons and cross-border refugees generated by the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State, Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone. The humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad Basin has produced one of the largest displacement emergencies in Africa, with millions of Nigerians internally displaced and hundreds of thousands crossing into Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Using a professional policy analysis design, the study reviews the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Nigeria's National Policy on Refugees, UNHCR operational reports, and National Emergency Management Agency situation reports from 2021 to 2024. The Refugee Protection Framework and the International Humanitarian Law Theory provide the analytical lenses. Findings reveal that Nigeria lacks a comprehensive national refugee law that fully domesticates its 1951 Convention obligations, creating protection gaps for persons displaced across state and national borders. IDP camp management in Borno State is characterised by overcrowding, inadequate protection for women and girls, and insufficient durable solutions programming. The study recommends enactment of a comprehensive Nigerian refugee and IDP protection law and durable solutions planning integrating return, local integration, and resettlement pathways. Keywords: refugee policy, IDP, Borno State, humanitarian management, international migration.