Invisible Labour, Visible Impact: Rethinking Migration Policy and Precarity in South Africa
Migrant workers in South Africa’s domestic service, agriculture, and construction sectors form the unacknowledged backbone of the economy. They build homes, harvest food, and sustain households, yet their contributions remain largely invisible in national discourse. Despite recent policy reforms and research initiatives, systemic exploitation, insecure legal status, and limited access to social protection continue to define their daily realities. Promise and Pitfalls of Policy Reform The newly approved
Protecting Children on the Move in South Africa: Legal Frameworks, Lived Realities, and Systemic Challenges
In South Africa, the protection of children on the move, asylum seekers, and migrants is built upon a layered legal framework spanning national, regional, and international levels. At the national level, the Refugees Act (No. 130 of 1998) upholds the right to seek asylum and explicitly prohibits refoulement the forced return of individuals to countries where they face persecution (South African Government, 1998). The...
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Humanitarian and Migration Dynamics in Niger: A Regional Analysis
Niger occupies a pivotal role in West Africa’s asylum and migration landscape, shaped by intersecting pressures of regional conflict, environmental stressors, and political volatility. Bordered by Burkina Faso, Libya, Nigeria, Mali, and Chad all affected by varying degrees of insecurity the country has experienced sustained displacement, particularly in the regions of Tillaberi, Tahoua, Diffa, and Maradi. These movements are compounded by climate-related events such as flooding and drought, which exacerbate rural poverty and place additional strain on...
Cholera Outbreak in Sudan and Chad: Escalating Public Health and Humanitarian Crisis
A cholera outbreak in eastern Chad’s refugee settlements, particularly Dougui and Treguine, has intensified the humanitarian challenges facing Sudanese arrivals displaced by conflict in Darfur. As of August 2025, Dougui has recorded 264 cases and 12 deaths, with suspected cases also reported in other high-risk border areas such as Adre. Across the border in Darfur, health authorities and humanitarian agencies report more than 4,300 cases and 113 deaths amid continuing violence and mass displacement. Transmission is being accelerated...
Report on the SACBC Meeting on Migration, Refugees, and Human Trafficking
The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) recently convened a multi-day meeting addressing migration, pastoral care, and the Church’s response to human trafficking. The gathering brought together clergy, religious, lay leaders, and representatives from civil society organizations, with discussions structured around pastoral, theological, and legal dimensions of migration in Southern Africa. Opening Reflections Sr. Neide Lamperti (SACBC) welcomed participants and noted that materials were available...
Human Trafficking in Africa: Patterns, Drivers, and Responses
This year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons draws attention to the persistence of sex trafficking across Africa, where organized crime, systemic inequality, and weak institutional capacity converge to create conditions of exploitation. Evidence indicates that women and girls are disproportionately affected, with risks amplified by poverty, entrenched gender norms, limited legal protections, and climate-induced displacement. Trafficking networks exploit porous borders and increasingly operate through digital platforms, while state responses often remain under-resourced and fragmented. ...
