Multiple African countries restrict immigration

This week, Uganda implemented tighter rules on immigration, highlighting a growing trend among economically weaker nations and former advocates of generous refugee policies to reconsider their stance. Historically, Kampala has welcomed individuals escaping conflicts from both East Africa and distant regions such as Afghanistan, even offering them employment opportunities and farmland.

Ugandas recent measures are part of a broader pattern across the continent, with countries including Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kenya announcing various restrictions on migration for different reasons.

Meanwhile, nations that were previously supportive of migration are also adopting stricter approaches. For instance, Swedens Social Democratic Party, once a strong proponent of liberal refugee policies, has shifted toward more limited immigration measures. A party spokesperson on integration, herself the daughter of Kurdish political refugees, emphasized that the change was not about following far-right agendas but responding to evolving circumstances.

Author: Sophia Brooks