Johannesburg – Pretoria called on Thursday for an Africa-wide conference to address migration on the continent after weeks of deadly anti-migrant violence and tensions over undocumented foreign workers in South Africa.
The meeting would revisit a decade-old African Union (AU) decision to tackle migration as an issue of economic development, regional integration, peace and governance, the foreign ministry said.
It would also address the root causes of anti-migrant sentiment and develop a continent-wide response to xenophobia, discrimination and violence.
“The need for this dialogue has become increasingly urgent. Migration is a continental phenomenon whose consequences extend beyond the jurisdiction of any single state,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Irregular migration is a common challenge facing our continent. Research suggests that, for many Africans, migration is driven less by choice than by compulsion. An Africa-wide conference to examine the push and pull factors shaping migration is long overdue. After all, most… pic.twitter.com/1re0qpyFwd
— Minister: International Relations and Cooperation (@RonaldLamola) July 30, 2026
“Although Africa has participated in discussions on migration with other regions of the world, the continent has yet to convene a comprehensive forum of its own at which member states can collectively examine Africa’s migration challenges and opportunities.”
South Africa, the continent’s wealthiest nation, has long been a magnet for migrants.
But it has seen recurring bouts of anti-migrant violence for nearly two decades, with protests intensifying this year after vigilante groups ordered undocumented foreigners to leave by June 30.
South Africa moves to defuse tensions with Ghana and Nigeria:Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa have stepped up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions following weeks of anti-migrant violence against African migrants in South Africa. South Africa’s government has condemned the attacks… pic.twitter.com/rHNC7aEEPR
— CGTN Africa (@cgtnafrica) July 29, 2026
More than 176,000 people have left in recent weeks, according to an AFP tally based on figures provided by African countries that have repatriated their nationals.
At least four migrants have been killed in the violence, according to the South African police, though some foreign governments say the death toll is higher.
Ghana, which has been an outspoken critic of the fatal attacks, has called an African Union debate on the anti-migrant violence at the next AU summit early next year.
The African Union has backed a broader discussion on migration, a South African government official said on Thursday, after Ghana made a proposal to place xenophobic violence in South Africa on the agenda of an upcoming AU meeting. https://t.co/Gfd096meN5
— Reuters Africa (@ReutersAfrica) July 30, 2026
Nigeria, which has also clashed diplomatically with South Africa over recurring attacks on its citizens, has likewise pushed to put the issue on the AU’s agenda.
South Africa said the AU’s executive council, which met this week in Ethiopia, decided not to include migration on the agenda for the bloc’s mid-term review meeting in Egypt in October.
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Source: AFP
