South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on African nations to work together to address the root causes of migration as his government faces increasing pressure over recent attacks on foreign nationals. He said African migration is a shared challenge that requires collective action rather than isolated national responses. His comments come amid rising tensions in South Africa, where anti-migrant protests have triggered concern across the continent. Ramaphosa stressed that lasting solutions to African migration depend on tackling the factors that force people to leave their home countries.
Speaking before the Pan-African Parliament on Monday, Ramaphosa said African governments must confront the issues driving migration.
“As African countries, we have to acknowledge and address the conditions that drive migration in the first place,” he said.
“We need to work together to address issues like conflict, instability, governance failures, poverty and social discord.”
His remarks followed weeks of anti-migrant protests in South Africa, where xenophobic groups have accused undocumented migrants from other African countries of contributing to crime, unemployment and increased pressure on public services.
Ramaphosa warned that poorly managed cross-border African migration could threaten security and social stability across the continent.
According to an AFP tally based on figures from repatriating governments, more than 160,000 foreign nationals have left South Africa over the past two months, marking one of the country’s largest recent migrant departures.
At least four migrants have been killed in the violence, although some foreign governments believe the death toll is higher.
Describing the attacks as “sad and abhorrent,” Ramaphosa said, “We in South Africa deeply regret and mourn” the lives lost.
He added, “We’ve taken a firm stand against hatred for people from other countries, xenophobia or Afrophobia.”
Meanwhile, Ghana has called for an African Union debate on the violence, while two Ghanaian citizens have petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate what they described as repeated xenophobic attacks. Pretoria has dismissed the move as “opportunistic.”
The latest unrest marks the first time several African governments have organised voluntary repatriations for thousands of their citizens at the same time, highlighting the growing urgency of finding lasting solutions to African migration.
What steps should African governments take together to reduce migration pressures and prevent xenophobic violence?
