South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday called for greater cooperation among African states in tightening immigration enforcement regimes.
The speech was part of the opening address to the Pan-African Parliament, which acts as the legislative body of the African Union. He spoke extensively on the need to harmonize laws and policy and to present a united front against shared challenges, stating:
“We call on this Pan-African Parliament to take up the mantle of leadership, to be at the forefront of finding sustainable solutions to this issue. The measure of Africa’s development will not only be the ease with which Africans can move across borders. It will also be the extent to which every African country offers all its citizens sufficient opportunity, dignity and hope.”
Ramaphosa’s speech comes as recent weeks have seen a flare-up of xenophobic violence in the post-apartheid state. At least four migrants have been killed as a result of this violence and since March of this year, over 160,000 migrants have left South Africa, either by deportation or due to threats of violence. Earlier this June, President Ramaphosa announced a series of reforms meant to address the issue of undocumented migrants, but also cautioned against the use of violence by non-state actors to that end. Anti-migrant groups have set an unofficial deadline of June 30th for all undocumented migrants to leave South Africa. However, violence ravaging throughout the country against immigrants has only reached unprecedented levels.
South Africa has acted as a regional magnet of economic migration in Africa due to its relative economic opportunities, however migrants are often stuck in a cycle ofeconomic abuse, with many given salaries falling below the minimum-wage threshold, constantly deprived of their rights under employment and labour law, alongside being expected to carry out their duties under subpar working conditions. Amnesty International has previously called for South Africa to address these concerns and the persistent culture of xenophobic violence in the country.
Additionally, critics have condemned the South African Police Service (SAPS) for failing to provide adequate protection to African migrants and asylum seekers who are constantly targeted in hate crimes. Critics have also pointed out that instead of arresting violent vigilantes, SAPS officers frequently conduct raids where individuals with proper and legitimate documentation are sometimes detained under the guise of enforcing immigration laws.
Foreign ministries have also joined forces in condemning South African law enforcement for its role in perpetrating extrajudicial killings, pinpointing specific incidents where migrants have lost their lives or been subjected to torture while in police custody. The major cause of this sudden spike in hate crimes against migrants and foreign nationals is largely due to the misplaced notion that they contribute to violent crime, although studies have dismantled this prejudiced mindset by proving otherwise.
Beyond Ramaphosa calling for tighter immigration laws and stricter enforcement of existing legislation, he has also highlighted the need to address the root causes of migration, as well as the role of xenophobia, misinformation, and scapegoating in the recent protests.
