South Africa Calls for Africa-Wide Migration Talks After Protests

The Government of South Africa is advocating for Africa-wide talks to address the root causes of irregular migration across the continent. This push follows a period of violent internal anti-immigration protests and the repatriation of at least 68,000 people between June and July, primarily citizens of Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola stated that discussions should focus on push-pull factors. He cited illegal entries into South Africa as well as a July 31 event in Ceuta, Spain, where a crossing from Morocco left over 80 people dead.

Diplomatic tensions have emerged within the African Union after the bloc rejected a proposal from Ghana to add South Africa's specific migration tensions to its October coordination meeting agenda. South Africa opposed the proposal, arguing that the country should not be singled out. National leaders from the Southern African Development Community are expected to further discuss the situation at a summit in Durban later this month.