Groundbreaking network will enhance migrant human rights in Southern Africa

In a significant step towards enhancing human rights in the Southern Africa region, representatives from multiple countries have come together to advocate for a more human approach to migration governance in the region.

Launched on 20th August in Johannesburg, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Network on Alternatives to Detention (ATD) aims to create a collaborative platform to address pressing issues around migration and the growing trend of criminalisation and securitisation across the region.

Convened by International Detention Coalition (IDC) and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), the network unites NGOs, human rights defenders and people with lived experience of immigration detention.

Southern Africa has seen a substantial increase in migration in recent years. There are over 7.87 million recorded regular migrants and a significant number irregular migrants in the region, often leading to restrictive policies and the use of immigration detention in some countries.

Xenophobia and punitive legislation have exacerbated these challenges, with some countries criminalising irregular entry or stay, resulting in widespread imprisonment and detention of migrants and refugees contrary to international refugee law.

But the SADC Network seeks to change that. The network will promote alternatives to detention, engage political leaders from across the region, and develop a regional advocacy plan to deliver policy change that promotes the human rights of migrants and refugees. The network will also create an opportunity for the members to share promising practices on ATD and learn from each other.

These efforts aim to reduce reliance on detention as a migration management tool, instead promoting community-based solutions that allow migrants to live freely while their immigration status is assessed.

The launch of the SADC Regional Network on ATD is particularly timely, given that countries across Africa are currently preparing for a wide ranging review of migration governance practices in the region, through the Regional Review of the Global Compact on Migration that will take place in October 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, offering governments, civil society organisations and UN bodies a platform to evaluate progress towards more humane and effective migration policies in the African continent. The launch is also timely considering that SADC states have selected alternatives to detention as one of the key priorities to advance in Southern Africa.

It is in this broader context that the SADC network will advocate for alternatives to detention, fostering solutions that respect the rights and dignity of migrants. The network’s focus on collaboration and linking national, regional and global solutions offers hope for a future where migration is managed with humanity and respect, ensuring justice and dignity for all.