Africa's labour force grew to over 509 million people in 2022, while the number of international migrants on the continent rose to 26 million.

Four Namibian women from Oshikoto Region who returned home from Vredendal in South Africa’s Western Cape following anti-illegal immigration protests have thanked the government for arranging their safe repatriation but say they now face unemployment and need assistance to restart their lives.

Fourteen Namibian citizens have returned home from neighbouring South Africa amid anti-foreigner sentiments with only a few possessions. 

Issued with emergency travel certificates, the group of returnees were voluntarily repatriated from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape Province. 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says it is worried about anti-immigration protests in parts of South Africa, citing safety concerns and potential human rights violations.

The Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA) has condemned the rise in xenophobic attacks, hate crimes and speech targeting migrants in South Africa.

The Zambian government has intensified efforts to help citizens wishing to return home following anti-immigration protests reported in parts of South Africa.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that, so far, no Zambian has been reported injured in connection with the anti-immigration protests.

SADC and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) engaged in discussions regarding potential areas of mutual cooperation concerning the displacement of people within the region.

Barely two days after deporting 242 illegal immigrants, the Department of Immigration in Zambia has again intercepted 175 illegal immigrants. 

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has warned that water scarcity and inadequate sanitation could fuel migration, displacement and conflict across Africa if urgent action is not taken.

Zambia has launched the Integrated Migration Management Information System and the five-year National Migration Data Strategy, aimed at curbing illegal immigration.

The launch is considered a transformative milestone in modernising Zambia's migration governance.