By Own Correspondent

ZIMBABWE managed to host a high level regional migration indaba which deliberated on the hotly debated issues affecting citizens fleeing dangerous situations in their home countries.

Migrants staying in Zimbabwe include a mix of refugees, asylum seekers, and temporary or long-term economic migrants from countries like Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many seek work or are pursuing education, with the majority of refugees residing in Tongogara Refugee Camp, though some live in urban areas. 

In Africa, migrants face a wide range of significant challenges spanning safety, economic stability, and social integration, often exacerbated by irregular legal status and inadequate protective systems.

The event ran from October 24-27, 2025, and tackled migration challenges, including climate-induced mobility, child migration, alternatives to detention, labor mobility, youth migration, and the growing need for data-driven migration policies.

The Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA), which has served as a platform for regional collaboration on migration policy for the past 25 years, continues to play a key role in fostering integration and policy alignment within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

This year’s dialogue was presided over by the Zimbabwe, in its capacity as the current Chair of the SADC, at the Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls. The Southern Africa nation, a champion of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), has made significant strides in developing policies that maximize the benefits of migration while minimizing its risks.

“The dialogue featured a series of technical sessions from October 24 to 26, aimed at fostering inclusive stakeholder engagement, identifying key migration challenges, and developing evidence-based recommendations for better migration governance in the region.

“These discussions set the stage for a Ministerial session on October 27, where SADC Ministers from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Labour, Education, and Environment, along with representatives from the African Union Commission, UN agencies, and other regional organizations, will endorse the outcomes of the technical sessions,” a post event statement said.

 The Ministerial session also reaffirmed the region’s commitment to regional integration and aligned efforts to implement the objectives of the Global Compact for Migration, aiming to make migration safe, regular, and orderly.

"Regional integration is best promoted through people integration. Our collective resolve should be anchored on ensuring the integration of member states in the SADC bloc if we are to realize the vision of safe, regular, and orderly migration," Home Affairs Minister, Kazembe Kazembe said.