This article offers a comparative analysis of integration strategies among Chadian and Nigerien immigrants in Cameroon from 1972 to 2017. Drawing on historical sources, policy documents and qualitative studies, it examines how differences in origin-region economies, migratory motivations, settlement geographies and institutional responses produced divergent but sometimes overlapping modes of incorporation. Nigerien immigrants are shown to have gravitated toward urban commerce and informal trade networks, leveraging transnational sourcing, market niches and intermarriage to accelerate social integration. Their economic adaptation is reflected in flexible participation in retail and petty entrepreneurship, where trust is built through repeated interaction and network referrals. Chadian immigrants more often pursued agro-pastoral livelihoods, seasonal labour and localized entrepreneurship, relying on kin-based reciprocity, education and gradual settlement in northern and rural areas, where their livelihood diversification is involved. Both groups used shared languages (French, Hausa, Fulfulde), Islam and intermarriage to negotiate belonging, yet they differed in interactions with state institutions, access to formal employment and spatial distribution. Policy shifts including structural adjustment, border securitization and changing migration governance reshaped opportunities across decades, prompting increased urbanization among Nigeriens and adaptations in Chadian transhumant practices. The study advances understanding of how migrant resilience, and structural constraints interact to produce distinct integration outcomes and offers policy recommendations for targeted support, inclusive registration systems and programmes that recognise migrants’ economic contributions while protecting rights. The implications of this study are significant for promoting social cohesion and supporting immigrant integration in Cameroon and beyond. 

Keywords: Migration, Economic Adaptation, emigration, Immigration, Integration Strategies, Intermarriage.