International Conference on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Addressing and Eradicating Xenophobia in the Southern African Region
Dr Jean Pierre Misago (Senior Researcher and Co-Director, ACMS) observed at the University Johannesburg‘s CICLASS conference on xenophobia (26–27 March 2026), that xenophobic discrimination is rising despite years of intervention, driven by governance failures, restrictive migration laws, and a political economy that rewards exclusion. He called for a shift from changing attitudes to protecting rights and for accountability where xenophobic acts go unpunished.
Dr Pablo Ceriani Cernadas shared Latin America’s model of multi-stakeholder alliances that affirm migration as a human right, noting that legal reform alone is insufficient.
Prof Loren Landau guided the conversation, exploring how shifting politics shape migration dynamics.
The path forward requires collective action across government and civil society, a focus on rights protection, and accountability for perpetrators.
