African leaders urged to protect migrants' rights as millions face displacement risks

KINSHASA, DRC — Millions of people across Africa face the daily reality of migration, and how governments respond will shape the safety, dignity, and rights of vulnerable populations on the continent. This week, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa signaled his country’s intention to address the challenge through a human-centered approach that protects both citizens and foreign nationals, while calling for coordinated action among African nations.

Speaking in Kinshasa during talks with Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi, Ramaphosa acknowledged the competing pressures facing South Africa. The country is grappling with public anger over the presence of foreign nationals, with citizens protesting over unemployment and poverty. At the same time, documented and undocumented migrants living in South Africa face risks to their safety and dignity. The government’s task, Ramaphosa explained, is to honor both sets of concerns without abandoning either group to harm.

“The government of the Republic of South Africa is firm in saying that we have a duty to respect the rights of all people in our country, and we also have a duty to protect all people who live in our country and ensure that they are not subjected to violence,” Ramaphosa said. He emphasized that this commitment flows from South Africa’s Constitution, which enshrines respect for human rights and the dignity of all people.

The President described recent nationwide protests, during which security forces worked to maintain order while safeguarding vulnerable populations. “Our security forces are making sure that the rights of all people, including foreign nationals, are respected, whether they are documented or not. Their dignity, their lives are protected,” he said.

Ramaphosa acknowledged the frustrations driving South African citizens to protest. “Yes, there are those who have been protesting because they are concerned about their own livelihoods, unemployment and poverty,” he said. Recognizing those legitimate concerns, he stressed, does not justify abandoning migrants to violence or harassment. The government is attempting to balance the need to address joblessness and poverty among South Africans with the imperative to treat foreign nationals with safety and dignity.

This balance cannot be struck by one nation alone. Ramaphosa announced that South Africa would send envoys across the continent to build a coordinated African response to migration. “The issue of migration cannot be handled by one country alone. We need to work together as African sister countries to investigate it and find solutions that will be fitting to the problem that we now have,” he said. Proper documentation of migrants, he noted, is essential to any sustainable approach, as it protects the rights and security of everyone.

Meanwhile, Tshisekedi affirmed the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s understanding of South Africa’s sovereign right to manage its borders and immigration policy, while reinforcing the call for humanity. “We remain convinced that this issue must be addressed with total humanity and in respect of the dignity of the people,” he said. He expressed confidence in Ramaphosa’s leadership and emphasized that no African country can succeed in isolation. “It is together, in a spirit of African solidarity and shared responsibility, that we can protect our populations, strengthen our health systems, consolidate peace, and promote the integration of our continent,” Tshisekedi said.

The bilateral meeting in Kinshasa reflected a shared understanding that migration is a continental challenge requiring continental solutions. For ordinary people living in South Africa, whether citizens struggling with joblessness or migrants seeking safety and work, the outcome of this diplomatic engagement will determine whether their rights and wellbeing are genuinely protected. The commitment to coordinated action, grounded in human rights and constitutional principles, offers a framework for addressing migration in ways that do not pit vulnerable groups against each other. More information on South Africa’s position is available at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/ramaphosa-calls-coordinated-african-response-migration-challenges. How that framework translates into concrete policy and protection on the ground remains the question that matters most to the people it is meant to serve.