South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on African leaders to address the challenges pushing people to migrate, saying citizens should move across borders by choice and not desperation.
Speaking in Johannesburg during the Pan-African Parliament session on Monday, Ramaphosa said issues such as poverty, conflict, poor governance and lack of opportunities must be addressed to reduce forced migration.
He urged African governments to create jobs, strengthen institutions and promote peace so that citizens can find better opportunities within their own countries.
Ramaphosa said Africa’s development should be measured by the dignity, opportunities and hope it provides to its people.
“We must work for a future where Africans migrate out of choice and not necessity,” Ramaphosa said.
He also called for greater unity among African nations, saying a united continent would have a stronger voice in global matters, including trade, climate change and reforms at the United Nations.
This comes as numerous African states began repatriation processes for the citizens stranded in the country following widespread xenophobic attacks.
In June 2026, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said it was deeply concerned by the escalating anti-migrant mobilization in South Africa, which has been marked by xenophobic rhetoric, threats and attacks targeting non-citizens.
"Vigilante groups, such as Operation Dudula and March and March, have engaged in campaigns publicly calling for all “undocumented” non-citizens – and in some cases even foreign nationals whose presence in the country is compliant with domestic legislation – to leave the country by 30 June," ICJ said.
Reported harassment incidents, attempts by private persons to “verify” people’s identity documents at their workplaces and public health clinics, and efforts to exclude non-citizens from basic services have accompanied these vigilante groups’ campaigning, contributing to a climate of fear and exclusion.
ICJ said the developments give rise to serious concern about the protection of human rights guaranteed under South Africa’s Constitution, including the rights to dignity, equality and security of the person, as well as pursuant to the country’s binding obligations under international human rights law to prevent discrimination, protect all persons from violence and ensure equal protection of the law without distinction.