African Union weighs in on South Africa’s immigration unrest
The African Union (AU) supports South Africa’s proposal for a continent-wide discussion on migration following recent tensions over illegal immigration, the South African Foreign Ministry has said.
Clayson Monyela, the head of public diplomacy at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), said on X on Thursday that Pretoria has “defeated the attempt to single out & isolate” the country during discussions at the AU.
“The AU has agreed with us. The AU will discuss the migration issue broadly & look at the ‘Pull & Push’ factors,” he wrote. Monyela added that countries should examine the factors driving migration and said sending, transit, and destination countries “must collaborate to find solutions.”
Monyela’s comments came after Ghana asked the AU to discuss what it described as “xenophobic attacks in the Republic of South Africa against African nationals” as a separate agenda of an upcoming meeting.
The request followed a diplomatic dispute between the two countries after Ghana said one of its nationals was killed during anti-immigration protests in South Africa and raised concerns over the safety of African migrants. Pretoria rejected the claim, saying police investigations showed the man was shot a day before the protests in what authorities described as an extortion-related criminal attack.
Last week, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola also stated the AU had agreed that migration should be discussed through a broader continental framework rather than by focusing on individual countries.
“We welcome any discussion that will be comprehensive on migration to deal with all issues, including the root causes of illegal migration,” the minister said.
South Africa has stepped up deportations and border enforcement in recent months as part of its migration policy. Government figures show that more than 53,000 foreign nationals had been processed for deportation or repatriation as of July, after the authorities intensified a nationwide crackdown on illegal migration.
The debate has intensified following anti-immigration demonstrations held across South Africa in June. Protest organizers demanded tougher action against undocumented migration, while rights groups warned against xenophobia and attacks on foreign nationals.
