South Africa Pushes AU to Address Migration as Continental Challenge, Not National Burden

South Africa’s government formally rejected attempts to single out the country over migration at the 49th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council, instead pressing the AU to implement a long-standing resolution that would convene a comprehensive continent-wide migration conference.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola made the position explicit during a media briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday. He welcomed the Council’s decision to exclude migration from the agenda of the AU mid-term review meeting, framing it as direct validation of South Africa’s argument that the issue demands collective continental treatment rather than country-specific scrutiny.

The government’s case rests on a 2015 resolution adopted by the 25th AU Assembly in Johannesburg. That decision mandated an African migration conference to examine approaches for accelerating mobility and development across the continent while addressing irregular migration and strengthening capacity to manage migration flows. The framework, Lamola argued, already exists. It needs only to be acted upon.

“The African Union, in its wisdom, took a resolution in 2015 and said it calls for a comprehensive conference on migration. That is what the African Union should do. We don’t have a complex task; it’s already there. It’s just to dust it off from the shelves and put it on the table for implementation,” Lamola said.

The Minister framed South Africa’s resistance to isolated discussion as a question of governance and procedural fairness. Singling out one member state for migration-focused debate, he argued, would create a zero-sum dynamic in which South Africa defends itself against accusations rather than engaging in substantive problem-solving. No constructive policy outcome, he suggested, could follow from that posture.

Meanwhile, Lamola pressed the case that migration is a shared continental phenomenon requiring evidence-based, holistic analysis. Nearly 45 percent of Africans live outside their countries of origin, he noted, predominantly out of necessity. Research cited by the Minister shows that nearly six in every 10 Africans aged 18 to 25 have considered emigrating in search of better opportunities. More than half of Africans living outside their home countries remain within the continent, with South Africa, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire receiving the largest share of intra-African migrants.

Any meaningful policy discussion, Lamola argued, must address pull and push factors together. That means confronting root causes: climate change, economic hardship, peace and stability deficits, and democratic governance failures. It must also encompass regional integration and examine the drivers of anti-migrant sentiment across the continent.

“We raised our view that any discussion on this matter must be comprehensive, dealing with the pull factors, the root causes of illegal migration, climate change, economic peace and stability, democracy in a comprehensive manner. There is no discussion that will be helpful that will just focus on South Africa, because we are not the only country facing a migration challenge,” Lamola said.

Growing negative attitudes toward migrants across Africa and globally are driven in part by economic hardship. A continent-wide conference, Lamola argued, would create the institutional space for member states to address the root causes of anti-migrant sentiment and develop a collective framework for preventing violence, discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance.

South Africa has committed to continued cooperation with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which is expected to visit the country to engage on migration-related issues. The government also continues to chair the Committee of Five on South Sudan and the Ministerial Follow-Up Committee responsible for implementing Agenda 2063, the AU’s long-term development blueprint.

On financing, Lamola reported that South Africa has recommended the AU undertake a feasibility study into establishing an Agenda 2063 Development Fund. The proposal includes a mandate to avoid duplication with existing African financing institutions and to establish clear governance and accountability structures from the outset.

Regarding South Sudan, Lamola urged the international community to support preparations for credible and inclusive elections under the Revitalised Peace Agreement, stating that only such elections can deliver lasting peace and prosperity. He welcomed an Extraordinary AU Summit on conflict prevention and resolution scheduled for Luanda, Angola on August 29 to 30, describing it as an opportunity for African leaders to reinforce the principle of African solutions to African problems.

The Minister described the conflict in Sudan as one of the continent’s most pressing concerns and a major moral failure, pledging to use the Luanda summit as a platform to mobilize structured continental intervention. Whether the AU will finally act on its own 2015 migration mandate, or allow it to remain shelved, may well be the more immediate test of institutional follow-through.