The Eastern Route: Where Despair Crosses Borders and Hope Dies Quietly
Between 2019 and 2024, the borderlands between Yemen and Saudi Arabia became a stark landscape of peril for Ethiopian migrants navigating the Eastern Route. Along this path, individuals have faced violence, exploitation, and a lack of legal protection. While multiple testimonies and reports have surfaced, international accountability has proven elusive. A 2023 report by Human Rights Watch exposes the widespread use of explosive weapons, firearms, and other forms of abuse by border guards, allegations...
The Perfect Storm: Why Central and Western Africa Are Experiencing Record Displacement
“We are seeing that, overall, more and more people are on the move.” Luis de Freitas, leader of the regional data hub in Dakar for the IOM
Empowering Youth: Honoring Courage, Fighting for Change & Shaping a Better Future
In June, we celebrate Youth Month in South Africa, marked by an annual event on June 16. The national holiday commemorates the Soweto uprising, a youth-led protest that challenged the former apartheid government. The protest took place on June 16, 1976, after over a year of mounting frustration from Black communities across South Africa due to a new policy that required Afrikaans and English to be the only languages taught in Black schools. It entailed upwards of 20,000 participants and...
Reconstitution of South Africa’s Immigration Advisory Board: A Policy Shift
In a significant policy development, South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, has announced the reconstitution of the Immigration Advisory Board (IAB), marking its first operational presence in more than a decade. This initiative seeks to strengthen immigration governance through structured policy recommendations and regulatory compliance (Department of Home Affairs, 2025).
Lost in Transit: The Silent Victims of Human Smuggling in Ghana
Migration in Africa remains a deeply complex issue, often entangled with human smuggling and trafficking. Economic hardships, armed conflict, and natural disasters drive high migration rates, making Ghana a pivotal transit point for global smuggling operations. Vulnerable migrants, recruited through social media and personal referrals, frequently fall prey to exploitation and abuse. Organised Criminal Networks Criminal syndicates, such as the Transporters gang, charge migrants between $2,000 and $10,000 for...
Empowering Migrant Communities Through Creativity, Digital Technology, and Outreach
SIHMA has successfully completed a series of videos celebrating the creativity, resilience, and talent within migrant communities. These videos will be available on SIHMA’s website and featured in the initiatives Narratives on Human Mobility and Atlas of African Migration. Through this project, participants have gained technical skills and increased confidence in self-expression, strengthening both training and outreach efforts. Looking ahead, SIHMA remains committed to engaging with migrants across southern Africa, exploring the role of...
.jpg)