South Africa's illegal migration solution lies beyond its borders
Enforcement alone cannot resolve a challenge rooted in regional governance failures, economic disparities and instability.
South Africa has spent more than two decades tightening immigration laws, strengthening border security and increasing deportations in an effort to curb illegal (irregular) migration. Yet despite successive legislative reforms, the establishment of the Border Management Authority (BMA) and the recently revised White Paper on citizenship, immigration and refugee protection, irregular migration remains a persistent challenge. The country's experience demonstrates that enforcement alone cannot resolve a challenge rooted in regional governance failures, economic disparities and instability beyond its borders.
Borders can regulate movement, but they cannot eliminate regional political and economic conditions that compel people to migrate
Recognising these challenges, President Cyril Ramaphosa recently outlined five priority actions to strengthen migration management: enforcing immigration and labour laws, preventing irregular border crossings, tackling corruption within the immigration system, reforming immigration laws and policies, and enhancing migration cooperation with other African countries. The president's emphasis on regional cooperation shows that migration cannot be managed through domestic enforcement alone. However, translating this commitment into practice will require South Africa to play a more active role in addressing the underlying drivers of migration across the region.
Migration is rarely the result of a single factor. Rather, it reflects a combination of political instability, economic hardship, conflict, unemployment and environmental pressures that shape individuals' decisions to move. Different factors influence migration at different stages. The underlying drivers should be distinguished from the factors that facilitate or constrain migration, such as border controls, migration costs or diasporic networks, which influence how people move rather than why they decide to leave (see Figure 1). As one of Africa's most industrialised and diversified economies, South Africa continues to attract migrants seeking safety and better livelihood opportunities.
Conceptual framework for drivers of migration. Source: Adapted from International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2025. Drivers of International Migration. European Migration Management (EMM2.0) Handbook.
Zimbabwe illustrates why enforcement-led approaches are unlikely to produce lasting results. Decades of economic decline, currency instability, political uncertainty and deteriorating public services have forced millions of Zimbabweans to seek opportunities elsewhere, with South Africa remaining the primary destination. Although the country represents the most prominent example, similar governance and economic challenges continue to drive outward migration from several countries across Southern Africa and the wider continent.
The composition of South Africa's immigrant population reflects the interconnected nature of Southern Africa's economies and governance systems. Migration patterns, therefore, provide insight into broader regional development dynamics rather than isolated national events. Many migrants originate from neighbouring countries (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi), facing prolonged economic and governance difficulties (see Figure 2). This reinforces the need for coordinated, rather than purely domestic, policy responses.
Behind these structural drivers are individuals forced to make difficult choices. As one Zimbabwean interviewed in South Africa explained:
‘My brother. I want to go back home, but I am stuck here, brother. I can no longer stay here, South Africa is no longer the same, they no longer want us here. But I can’t go back home either, our Zimbabwean economy is terrible.’
This testimony illustrates the difficult choices confronting many migrants. As long as economic collapse and governance failures persist in countries of origin, deportations and tighter border controls alone cannot provide a lasting solution; rather, they become costly.
Governments can find themselves repeatedly investing in managing the consequences of migration rather than reducing the conditions that generate it. Public spending shifts towards enforcement and asylum systems instead of investments that support orderly mobility, labour market integration and long-term partnerships with countries of origin that can reduce migration pressures over time.
South Africa should therefore adopt a broader regional migration strategy that links effective domestic migration management with regional development policy, economic diplomacy and governance engagement in migrants' countries of origin. Such an approach would combine necessary border management with upstream interventions that reduce migration pressures over the longer term. This requires closer coordination between migration authorities and those responsible for foreign policy, regional cooperation and economic development.
South Africa's migration challenge highlights the need for the AU and the SADC to play a more effective role in strengthening regional economic cooperation, promoting good governance and supporting conflict prevention across the region. More effective regional institutions can help address many of the political and governance conditions that sustain long-term migration pressures. Creating sustainable livelihoods in countries of origin will also be essential to reduce the long-term pressures of irregular migration. This requires coordinated investment in regional infrastructure, cross-border trade, industrial development and value chains that create jobs and expand productive employment across Southern Africa.
However, economic cooperation alone will not be sufficient. It must be complemented by stronger regional accountability and a more consistent commitment to democratic governance. South Africa's regional diplomacy has at times prioritised political solidarity over robust engagement with governance challenges in neighbouring states. Addressing this gap would serve both South Africa's national interests and the long-term stability and prosperity of the Southern African region.
Economic cooperation must be complemented by stronger regional accountability and a more consistent commitment to democratic governance across Southern Africa
South Africa's migration challenge ultimately raises a broader strategic question: how can Southern Africa become a region in which fewer people feel compelled to leave in the first place? South Africa cannot build enough fences or deport enough migrants to overcome the consequences of instability beyond its borders. A sustainable solution will require stronger domestic institutions alongside a more assertive regional strategy that promotes economic opportunity, democratic governance and peace across Southern Africa.
Coordinating with neighbouring countries to become places where people can build secure and prosperous lives is not simply an act of regional solidarity; it is one of the most effective long-term investments that South Africa can make in its own security, prosperity and stability.
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