Evidence, Not Emotion: A New Foundation for Migration
By Gilchriste Ndongwe
Introduction
The migration discourse in Africa has reached a critical boiling point. While migration inevitably stirs profound emotions touching upon the fundamental human experiences of identity, belonging, and survival we must ensure that these feelings, however powerful, do not eclipse evidence. As we navigate the turbulence of 2026, it is increasingly clear that our current approach, often stifled by bloated narratives and an over-reliance on anecdotal perception, is failing the very people it purports to serve.
The time has come to pivot decisively from emotion-fueled dogma to rigorous, empirical inquiry. By choosing evidence over ideology, we can transform migration from a perennial source of division into a genuine opportunity for regional growth and development.
This is not a call to silence the debate, but to elevate it. It is an invitation to let evidence lead the way across the continent, drawing hard-earned lessons from both the successes and the failures of regional blocs like the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). To break through our current impasse, the conversation must be grounded not in fear, but in evidence. Only through a disciplined commitment to evidence can we move past rhetoric and toward solutions that foster prosperity for all.
Bridging the Gap: From Evidence to Dialogue to Action
In light of the complex socio-economic pressures facing Africa nations the true challenge is no longer a shortage of evidence. Researchers and policy institutes have produced reams of studies on migration patterns, labour market impacts, and remittance flows. Yet these findings often remain trapped in academic journals, policy briefs, and conference rooms, rarely penetrating the public consciousness or shifting the heated rhetoric that dominates airwaves and social media feeds. The real question, then, is, how do we convert complex, multi-layered research into a language that resonates with ordinary citizens, cools social tension, and ultimately drives tangible policy action?
The answer lies in a deliberate practice of public policy translation moving decisively away from academic silos and toward storytelling grounded in evidence. This is not about dumbing down evidence but about humanizing it. It means taking abstract figures and embedding them in the lived realities of our communities. For instance, instead of citing national unemployment statistics in a vacuum, we can share localised case studies, how remittances from a West African migrant working in Accra keep a family afloat in rural Mali, paying for school fees and medical care, or how a migrant-owned spaza shop in Gauteng sources produce from local farmers, sustaining dozens of jobs along the supply chain. These are not anomalies they are the everyday fabric of African economic life, and they tell a far more nuanced story.
But storytelling alone is insufficient if it does not reach the right ears. We must therefore be strategic about our communication channels. Engaging community leaders, media houses, and digital platforms is essential to ensure that evidence-based perspectives are as accessible and as shareable as the inflammatory rhetoric they aim to counter. There are proven models to learn from in the ECOWAS region as community radio has long been used to disseminate migration related information in local languages, reaching populations that mainstream media often overlook. The Africa evidence communities can adapt and scale such strategies across linguistic and cultural divides, partnering with trusted local voices to amplify factual, balanced narratives that cut through misinformation.
Yet even the best crafted message will fall flat if the audience feels excluded from the conversation. This is why inclusive engagement is non-negotiable. We must design genuine safe platforms where host citizens and migrants can come together to discuss findings openly, without fear or defensiveness. These are not debates to be won, but dialogues to be shared. The United Nations‘ thematic roundtables have repeatedly underscored a critical barrier, the absence of harmonized migration data definitions and statistics across African countries which pose a fundamental obstacle to effective policymaking and regional cooperation. By facilitating inclusive dialogues that bring together researchers, policymakers, and community representatives and by simultaneously advocating for standardized data collection this can dismantle this obstacle, ensuring that policy is built on a common, credible foundation.
A Call for Evidence-Informed Leadership
For years, we have witnessed the emergence of national and regional organizations dedicated to facilitating the use of evidence in decision-making. Yet despite this progress, the migration debate across Africa remains hijacked by incendiary narratives, political posturing, and anecdotal claims that inflame tensions rather than illuminate solutions. Given this reality, it is time for Pan-African oriented programmes like the Africa Evidence Network (AEN) to step decisively into the breach. By leveraging its critical mass, continental infrastructure, and convening power, the AEN can serve as the essential bridge between robust empirical evidence and the complex socio-economic realities facing our nations.
To move the needle, the AEN and similar bodies must first commit to mapping and demystifying the migration landscape. This means creating and showcasing evidence maps that provide objective clarity on the actual impacts of migration, stripping away the hyperbole that currently dominates the public sphere. Beyond mapping, Africa evidence communities must actively amplify independent voices by championing evidence synthesis that explores the lived experiences of both migrants and local host communities. Humanizing the evidence is not a soft add-on, it is crucial for cooling the social climate and preventing the destructive cycle of xenophobia that threatens Africa’s standing on the global stage. Studies from the International Labour Organization further reinforce this imperative, showing that increased immigrant participation in the workforce is associated with a rise in employment opportunities, thereby undermining the zero-sum assumption that has poisoned public discourse for too long.
Crucially, this work cannot remain confined to any single country or sub-region. Migration is not a strictly domestic problem to be policed at national borders, it is a profound regional phenomenon that demands harmonized, cross-border responses. The AEN can help shift the narrative toward long-term policy solutions by connecting African policymakers fostering evidence informed peer learning and coordinated strategies. Yet the evidence base must extend well beyond Southern Africa. In West Africa, for example, the ECOWAS framework has long recognized free movement as a cornerstone of regional integration. However, the weakening of these regimes and the externalization of borders by external actors have structurally reshaped migration patterns, turning transit cities into strategic spaces of residence and adaptation. These dynamics differ markedly from those in SADC, and the AEN is uniquely positioned to facilitate cross-regional learning that improves policy design across the continent.
Finally, the AEN must actively work to neutralize the narrative by facilitating the synthesis of objective economic data that illustrates the dual roles of migrants as both workers and consumers. This is essential to dismantle the persistent zero-sum fallacy that suggests one person’s opportunity must inevitably come at another’s expense. By synthesizing and disseminating data from diverse regions, the AEN can help policymakers and the public alike see migration not as a threat to be contained, but as a development lever to be harnessed for shared prosperity.
In sum, the path forward requires deliberate, evidence-informed leadership that rises above partisan noise and short-term political calculus. What remains is the will to act and the courage to let evidence, rather than dogma, chart the course for Africa’s migration future.
About the Author
Gilchriste Ndongwe is a Co-Founder of the Zimbabwe Evidence Informed Policy Network. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the organizations he is affiliated with.
