South Africa is advocating for continent-wide discussions on migration as it grapples with the fallout of domestic anti-immigration protests, including diplomatic tensions with neighboring countries. Pretoria argues that irregular migration cannot be addressed through national measures alone and wants the African Union (AU) to examine the economic and political factors driving population movements across the continent. The issue is expected to feature at an upcoming Southern African Development Community summit, where South Africa hopes to build support for broader AU engagement. The proposal also reflects concern over regional migration pressures highlighted by the recent Ceuta crossing between Morocco and Spain. For South Africa, the initiative is a pragmatic move to shift the focus from national failures to continental challenges, potentially avoiding deeper AU scrutiny. Long-term, this could either produce a coordinated continental migration framework or expose deeper rifts among African nations over how to share responsibility for economic displacement and cross-border movement.
AP