‘Xenophobia’ or ‘Illegal Immigrants’? Migration Debate Turns Tense at Malawi Conference

Lilongwe, Malawi — A debate over how to describe attacks against foreign nationals became a flashpoint at a major African parliamentary gathering in Malawi, after Nigerian and South African lawmakers clashed over the use of the word “xenophobia.”

The disagreement unfolded during the 55th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Africa Region Conference in Lilongwe, where South African lawmakers challenged the terminology being used in discussions about attacks against foreigners, arguing that the focus should instead be on illegal immigration.

Nigerian delegates pushed back, according to accounts of the proceedings, objecting to language they viewed as failing to adequately describe hostility and violence directed at people because they are foreigners.

The exchange injected an unexpectedly charged issue into a conference designed to bring African lawmakers together around democracy, parliamentary oversight, peace and regional cooperation.

The CPA Africa Region brings together 63 national and subnational legislatures, with the organisation describing its mission as promoting democracy, good governance, human rights and the interests of African parliaments.

Malawi is hosting this year’s regional conference in Lilongwe from August 9 to 15, with more than 300 delegates expected to attend. Official CPA material confirms the dates and identifies Malawi as the host of the 55th regional conference.

But the disagreement over terminology goes beyond semantics.

South Africa has faced recurring political and social tensions over undocumented migration, while foreign nationals have at times been targeted in violent attacks. South African officials have also publicly condemned xenophobic violence while calling for migration to be managed through the law.

That history helps explain why the language used to describe the problem can be politically sensitive.

For Nigerian lawmakers and others at the conference, the concern is that describing the issue primarily through the lens of immigration status could obscure the question of violence or discrimination against foreigners.

For South African lawmakers, the distinction between xenophobia and the enforcement of immigration laws appears central to the debate.

The confrontation has therefore placed a difficult question before lawmakers gathered in Lilongwe:

When does a debate about undocumented migration become a debate about hostility toward foreigners and what should African parliaments call it?

The answer, judging from the exchange in Malawi, remains deeply contested.