Migrants, Refugees and Displaced Persons
Recent weeks have seen a troubling surge in xenophobic activity in South Africa, particularly targeting foreign nationals’ access to public healthcare a phenomenon now termed “medical xenophobia.” Despite constitutional guarantees and legal precedents affirming healthcare rights for all, activists have illegally blocked clinics, harassed staff, and removed patients, claiming foreigners are overburdening the system. These actions, fuelled by political rhetoric and misinformation, have spread from Gauteng to other provinces and are increasingly normalized in public discourse....
African Migration Trends, Q2 2025: Regional Dynamics and Global Implications
Migration across Africa in 2025 reflects one of the most dynamic and consequential population movements worldwide. While public discourse often canters on irregular journeys to Europe, the empirical evidence demonstrates a more complex reality, the vast majority of African migration remains intra-continental, shaped by overlapping drivers such as conflict, climate change, economic disparities, and evolving policy frameworks. Recent regional updates from North, West, and East Africa to Southern Africa, Egypt, and Yemen reveal how mobility patterns are being...
Kakuma Refugee Camp: A Case Study in Integration Amid Global Humanitarian Retrenchment
Kakuma Refugee Camp, located in Turkana County, Kenya, has undergone a notable transformation since its establishment over two decades ago. Originally conceived as a temporary shelter, the camp now hosts more than 150,000 refugees, primarily from South Sudan and Somalia (Theresa Beltramo and Utz Pape, 2021). Over time, Kakuma has evolved into a semi-urban settlement characterised by a robust informal economy. According...
Xenophobic Vigilantism and the Struggle for Migrant Rights in South Africa
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has urged South Africa’s high courts to uphold international law in protecting migrants and refugees from discrimination and xenophobic violence, as vigilante groups like Operation Dudula continue to escalate tensions (ICJ, 2025). The group, whose name translates to "force out" in Zulu, claims to combat crime, unemployment, and strained public services allegedly caused by undocumented migrants. However, its actions ranging from...
Rooted in Exile: Preserving Culture in African Refugee Communities
Culture and tradition have long stood as pillars of African society, shaping the identities, behaviours, and worldviews of individuals and communities alike. For African children and adults, these elements are not merely ceremonial, they inform social structures, define spiritual beliefs, transmit knowledge, and offer meaningful frameworks for addressing governance and environmental issues. Among displaced populations, however, these foundational elements often face erosion. Refugee camps and communities present a particular challenge to maintaining cultural integrity, Gregory Scarborough the author...
The Reality of International Aid Funding Cuts
The largest number of forcibly displaced people in recorded history is occurring today with various crises around the globe causing 139.3 million people to flee from violence, natural disasters, or instability (UNHCR, 2025). Further, the largest internally displaced crisis in history is happening in Sudan, with 13.7 million people being internally displaced at the end...
