The political context of intra-southern African migration: reflections on post-war Mozambique and post-apartheid South Africa

Resumen

Following the ends of both the war in Mozambique in 1992 and apartheid in South Africa in 1994, migration within the southern African region has gained new shapes as well as new border control responses. This paper analyses border control arrangements that have been put in place to address the escalation in migration across the Mozambique-South Africa border. It is based on in-depth interviews with border police patrollers, immigration officials and customs officers in Mozambique, together with analysis of annual reports from these border divisions. Findings indicate that Mozambique and South Africa have unilaterally prioritized anti-criminal aspects of border control and migration management, and have not prioritized integration of immigrants. Thus, it appears that Mozambique and South Africa have been failing to explore potential advantages anchored in intra-southern African migration, even though these could embody an alternative method for addressing migration, human mobility and border control in the Southern Africa region.