Migration Governance Crisis in Southern Africa
The African Union (AU) is grappling with mounting pressure to reform its migration governance frameworks as southern Africa faces a deepening crisis rooted in irregular migration, social cohesion challenges, and regional governance gaps. South Africa, a major destination for migrants, has become a flashpoint, with public concerns over undocumented migration evolving into a broader crisis that tests the continent’s integration projects. The core issue, according to analyses, is not migration itself but the inability of states to manage it in a way that balances sovereignty, the rule of law, and the dignity of migrants.
South African citizens’ frustrations over perceived weak immigration enforcement have led to calls for stricter controls, while migrants face systemic precarity. A study of Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa found that many live under a crisis of return,
where the promise of legal status is undermined by shifting policies and administrative barriers. One migrant described the situation as standing on nothing,
with legal status a bridge collapsing under our feet.
This precariousness, driven by policies like the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) regime, has eroded trust in state institutions and fueled tensions between communities and governments.
The AU’s role in addressing these challenges is under scrutiny. While the bloc has emphasized regional cooperation, the current framework lacks mechanisms to address transnational migration pressures. The crisis underscores the need for a governance model that respects national sovereignty while enabling collaborative solutions to shared challenges.
Calls for AU Commission Restructuring
The AU’s internal governance structure is also under review, with critics arguing that recent reforms have weakened its capacity to address complex issues like migration. The African Union Commission (AUC) underwent a major restructuring nearly a decade ago, reducing the number of commissioners from eight to six through mergers of departments such as political affairs and peace and security. While the goal was to create a leaner, more coherent
institution, the results have been mixed, with some departments under-resourced and others overburdened.
A report on the AUC’s reforms highlights structural flaws, including the consolidation of political affairs and peace and security into a single mega-commission
that prioritizes crisis response over long-term conflict prevention. Key units, such as the Continental Early Warning System and the AU Border Programme, have been marginalized, despite their critical role in managing cross-border mobility and integration. The economic and integration cluster also faces challenges, with the AfCFTA Secretariat operating independently from the AUC, leading to duplication and fragmented accountability.
Experts argue that the AU must reconsider its restructuring decisions to ensure that key mandates—such as governance, migration, and conflict prevention—are not diluted. Proposals include returning to eight or more commissioners to better address the continent’s evolving priorities, including climate security, digital governance, and industrialization. The scope, scale, and complexity of continental priorities have increased,
one analysis states, and returning to eight or more commissioners could ensure key mandates are not structurally marginalized.
Reimagining Regional Peace Frameworks
The migration crisis is intertwined with broader security challenges, including the rise of violent non-state actors, climate-driven displacement, and digital mobilization. These shifts have exposed limitations in Africa’s national peace architectures, which were historically centered on local mediation and peace councils. A recent study argues that these frameworks, while still useful, are insufficient to address modern conflicts and must evolve into networked infrastructures for peace
linked to regional and continental systems like the AU and regional economic communities (RECs).
The report emphasizes the need for anticipatory, cross-border collaboration to address threats such as transnational crime and climate migration. It calls for resourcing national peace mechanisms to proactively prevent conflicts rather than merely responding to crises. However, institutional and political competition between the AU and RECs persists, with unclear lines of responsibility. The AU as a political organization needs to demonstrate its economic worth to its members,
the study concludes, highlighting the urgency of aligning peace and security strategies with broader integration goals.
The Path Forward for African Integration
The challenges facing the AU reflect a broader tension between sovereignty and collective action. While states retain authority over immigration policies, the transnational nature of migration and security threats demands cooperative solutions.
For migrants, the stakes are immediate. Without stable legal frameworks, they remain vulnerable to deportation, exploitation, and exclusion. For states, the crisis tests their ability to balance public concerns with international obligations. As one migrant put it, How can you build a life like that?
The answer lies in governance that prioritizes predictability, dignity, and solidarity—principles that the AU’s reforms must now embody.
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