South Africa is urging the African Union (AU) to convene a continent-wide conference on migration following weeks of xenophobic violence and mounting diplomatic tensions over the treatment of African migrants within its borders.
Pretoria says the proposed conference would revive a long-standing AU decision to address migration not only as a border security issue but also through the lenses of economic development, regional integration, governance, and peacebuilding. The call comes after the AU Executive Council, meeting this week in Addis Ababa, declined to place migration on the agenda for the bloc’s October mid-year coordination meeting in Egypt.
The proposal follows weeks of anti-migrant unrest across parts of South Africa, where attacks on foreign nationals have left several people dead, displaced thousands, and forced many migrants to return to their home countries. Human rights groups have reported violent door-to-door raids, assaults, looting, and the intimidation of foreign-owned businesses, while authorities continue investigations into the attacks.
South Africa has maintained that migration is a continental challenge requiring collective African solutions rather than discussions focused solely on one country. This position has put Pretoria at odds with Ghana and Nigeria, which had sought to place xenophobic violence in South Africa on the AU agenda. Instead, South Africa has advocated for a broader dialogue on migration governance, border management, labour mobility, and the root causes driving migration across Africa.
The renewed push reflects growing concern that recurring anti-immigrant violence risks undermining African solidarity and the AU’s vision of greater continental integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). If approved, the proposed conference would bring together African governments to develop coordinated policies aimed at improving migration management while protecting the rights and safety of migrants across the continent.
