SIHMA Press Review for April 2026
Africa
AP
28 April2026
Uganda detains 231 foreigners in crackdown on possible human trafficking
Ugandan authorities detained 231 foreigners since Monday in a crackdown on illegal migration tied to human trafficking and cyberscam operations, targeting a group of Nigerians in northern Uganda and a mixed group from countries including Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Cambodia found living in a restrictive, self-contained compound in Kampala. Officials say those held fall into three categories trafficking victims, alleged traffickers/scammers, and visa overstayers with the first two groups facing deportation after buying their own return tickets and suspected ringleaders facing criminal charges, while overstayers without criminal involvement will also be sent home.
Link to Article: https://apnews.com/article/uganda-migration-trafficking-arrests-cyberscam-0c4f50f8df1854c07e6521bffdff3c36
Pulse Ghana
15 April 2026
Immigration Service announces street operation to arrest street beggars, unregistered migrants in Accra
The Ghana Immigration Service announced plans for a street operation in parts of Greater Accra targeting street beggars and unregistered migrants, though specific locations were withheld to protect operational effectiveness and vulnerable persons' safety. The exercise aims to rescue vulnerable populations, including children, from exploitative begging while ensuring unregistered immigrants comply with immigration laws, with authorities framing it as part of broader efforts to combat human trafficking, protect vulnerable Ghanaians, and maintain orderly public spaces, building on lessons from a previous operation.
Link to Article: https://www.pulse.com.gh/story/immigration-service-announces-street-operation-to-arrest-street-beggars-unregistered-migrants-in-accra-2026041510192441224
United Nations
14 April 2026
Fleeing Sudan's war, refugees rebuild their lives in Uganda
Since Sudan's war began in April 2023, nearly 600,000 refugees have reached Uganda's Kriandongo camp, where dwindling aid, inadequate healthcare, and shelters meant to be temporary have left residents relying on community solutions like the 20 kitchens set up after food rations were cut. The piece profiles several Sudanese refugees rebuilding fractured lives, a civil engineer now leading the camp's community, a former trader turned kitchen coordinator, a professor who commutes from Kampala to support fellow refugees, a doctor who resumed his medical career at a Ugandan hospital, and a longtime Sudanese settler who built a business and hotel near the camp, all sharing gratitude for Uganda's welcome alongside deep anxiety over the war's duration and a shared hope of eventually returning home.
Link to Article: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/04/1167295
South Africa
AP News
29 April 2026
Hundreds march in Johannesburg against illegal migration as shops shut over looting fears
Hundreds of South Africans marched in Johannesburg, following similar protests in Pretoria, demanding stricter enforcement of immigration laws and mass deportations amid tensions with foreign nationals, with the Johannesburg demonstration—organized by groups like March and March, Operation Dudula, ActionSA and Patriotic Alliance, prompting many shops to close over fears of looting. The protests reflect broader grievances that South Africa's estimated 3-5 million undocumented migrants worsen unemployment (over 30%), overcrowding, and strained public services, though the UN has voiced concern over related xenophobic attacks, including violence in Eastern Cape and an incident targeting Ghanaian nationals in KwaZulu-Natal that triggered a diplomatic row; South Africa has meanwhile deported over 109,000 undocumented immigrants in the past two financial years as enforcement intensifies.
Link to Article: https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-illegal-immigration-march-protests-cbc323b775625516597792db82d87ae0
BBC
24 April 2026
South Africa's top envoy to Ghana summoned over attacks on foreigners
Ghana summoned South Africa's acting high commissioner after video emerged of vigilante groups harassing and questioning a Ghanaian man, who was in the country legally over his immigration status, with Ghana's foreign ministry lodging a formal protest while urging its citizens abroad to remain law-abiding; Foreign Minister Ablakwa also raised the issue directly with his South African counterpart Ronald Lamola, who promised an investigation. Nigeria similarly warned its citizens to exercise caution after anti-foreigner protests turned violent in cities including Cape Town, Durban and East London, with looting and injuries reported, as vigilante groups like Operation Dudula and March on March, blaming migrants for unemployment and other social ills continued demonstrations that South African officials, including the acting police minister, condemned as unlawful vigilantism, even as the country hosts an estimated 2.4 million migrants (under 4% of its population), mostly from neighbouring states like Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Link to Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp38e5jgxqyo
Business Insider
09 April 2026
South Africa rolls out sweeping immigration reforms, tightening refugee and visa rules
South Africa's Cabinet approved a revised White Paper introducing sweeping immigration reforms, centered on a "first safe country" principle that would bar asylum seekers from choosing South Africa if they've already passed through or found protection elsewhere, alongside a new points-based, merit-driven system for citizenship and permanent residence meant to replace what Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber called "arbitrary, subjective" decision-making. The changes, which also include a digital visa system to curb fraud, come amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment and intensified enforcement, Schreiber noted 109,344 inland deportations since the Government of National Unity's formation, including a 46% year-on-year jump, with officials framing the overhaul as a way to modernize Home Affairs, attract skilled migrants, and speed up citizenship for genuine contributors, even as critics warn it could marginalize vulnerable migrants if poorly implemented.
Link to Article: https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/south-africa-rolls-out-sweeping-immigration-reforms-tightening-refugee-and-visa-rules/hl0gk0q
Southern African
CajNews
08 April 2026
Zambia cracks whip on illegal immigration
Zambia's Department of Immigration has apprehended 105 individuals from countries including Burundi, China, Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia and the UK for offenses ranging from illegal entry and overstaying to document fraud, with 47 already deported and 11 others refused entry over issues like expired documentation or prior violations. Notable cases include a Zambian convicted of aiding illegal entry, two Tanzanian nationals fined K100,000 each (or nine months' imprisonment) for helping smuggle 21 concealed Ethiopian nationals in fuel tankers, and a Congolese national facing multiple charges at Kasumbalesa border; immigration spokesman Namati Nshinka reaffirmed the department's commitment to border enforcement and urged the public to report suspected illegal immigrants, as the crackdown comes amid tightened security ahead of Zambia's August elections.
Link to Article: https://cajnewsafrica.com/2026/04/08/zambia-cracks-whip-on-illegal-immigration/
IOL
02 April 2026
Department of Home Affairs reassures Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders amid confusion over policy changes
South Africa's Department of Home Affairs issued an urgent clarification that no policy changes have been made to Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP), after remarks by Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza during a TV interview about the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection were misinterpreted as signaling imminent changes. Spokesperson Thulani Mavuso confirmed current permits remain valid until 29 May 2027 per a June 2025 extension, with unchanged conditions (including that ZEP holders still don't qualify for permanent residence), while the department continues a court-mandated consultation process triggered by a 2021 legal challenge from the Helen Suzman Foundation on the future of both the ZEP and Lesotho Exemption Permit, with a final report expected before Cabinet by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.
Link to Article: https://iol.co.za/the-star/news/2026-04-16-department-of-home-affairs-reassures-zimbabwe-exemption-permit-holders-amid-confusion-over-policy-changes/
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