Africa
Migration and refugee policies key to economic growth, Say UN and IMF experts
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) unveiled the third chapter of its World Economic Outlook 2025 at the United Nations on Wednesday, with a central focus on the global implications of migration and refugee policies. Titled “Journeys and Junctions: Spillovers from Migration and Refugee Policies,” the report underscores how population movements, when well-managed, can boost economies and strengthen host societies.
Speaking at the launch, Sivanka Dhanapala, Director of the New York Office of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), emphasized that refugees should not be viewed as a burden.
“The evidence is very clear that refugees don’t have to be a burden,” Dhanapala said. “With the right policies in place, refugees can, in fact, contribute to an economy. They can bolster the labor supply, they can provide an increase in tax revenue, and of course, they can drive GDP growth.”
Dhanapala noted that the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide has reached 122.6 million, with projections indicating it could surpass 125 million when UNHCR releases its Global Trends Report in June. “That is a tragedy of our times,” he said, reflecting on the steady rise in displacement over the past decade.
The IMF’s findings echo UNHCR’s call for inclusive policies. The report outlines that while destination countries may experience short-term pressure on public services, the long-term gains—ranging from labor market expansion to increased tax revenues—can far outweigh the initial costs if integration is handled effectively.
Pär Liljert, Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s New York Office, echoed this sentiment, calling for migration to be embedded into broader development strategies.
“Governments wishing to develop well-managed migration policies will have to consider the links between mobility and development,” Liljert said. He highlighted the need to include migrants in health policies and to recognize displacement in national risk reduction plans.
Liljert also pointed to dramatic demographic shifts expected in the coming decades, which he said will require proactive labor market strategies.
“Ninety per cent of the global population growth will be attributed to only 26 countries, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, while 76 countries will experience population decline,” he explained. “We encourage investments in skills development and policies that improve employability to meet the needs of the changing labor markets.”
As global migration trends continue to evolve, the IMF, UNHCR, and IOM are urging governments to adopt forward-looking policies that view mobility not as a challenge to be managed, but as an opportunity to be harnessed.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu following serious allegations made by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, a top police official. Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu and Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya of interfering in sensitive investigations and colluding with criminal syndicates.
The suspension comes amid growing concern over alleged political interference within key law enforcement agencies. President Ramaphosa announced the decision publicly, stating, “In order for the Commission to execute its functions effectively, I have decided to put the Minister of Police Mr Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence with immediate effect. The Minister has undertaken to give his full cooperation to the Commission to enable it to work properly.”
Ramaphosa has appointed Professor Firoz Cachalia as acting Minister of Police. Meanwhile, Mkhwanazi further alleged that Mchunu and Sibiya disbanded a critical crime-fighting unit that was investigating a string of politically motivated killings. These killings were reportedly linked to organized criminal networks.
The President also outlined the scope of the inquiry. “The Commission will investigate the role of current or former senior officials in certain institutions who may have aided or abetted the alleged criminal activity; or failed to act on credible intelligence or internal warnings; or benefited financially or politically from a syndicate’s operations,” Ramaphosa said.
Opposition parties have criticized the President for not taking stronger action. They argue that placing Mchunu on leave falls short of accountability and have called for his immediate dismissal instead.
The electoral process for Gabon’s local and legislative elections is officially underway.
The timetable for the September 27 vote has been announced and members of the national election commission have been sworn in by the Constitutional Court.
The revision of electoral rolls across the country begins on July 14 and continues until August 12. This will ensure new voters are added and deceased or ineligible voters removed from the rolls. It will also register any changes of voting centre and update personal data.
People aged 18 and over with a Personal Identification Number (PIN) are automatically registered and need only choose their polling center.
Local electoral commissions will be set up by July 26 and deployed across the country and abroad.
Nominations for the legislative and local elections are open from July 27 to August 7.
Fifth Republic
The Ministry of the Interior and national election commission reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring “credible, transparent and peaceful” elections, and called on citizens to play an active part in building the Fifth Republic.
Last week, two years after seizing power in a coup, President Brice Oligui Nguema unveiled a new political party, the Democratic Union of Builders, or UDB. Oligui secured nearly 95 percent of the vote in April’s presidential election.
The launch of the UDB appears to signal Oligui’s intent to transition from military leader to long-term political figure. While he initially presented himself as a reformer leading a transitional government, the creation of a political party gives structure to his leadership and a platform for future governance.
Forty-four people in Nigeria have been sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for financing the jihadist militant group Boko Haram. The trials of 10 other people have been postponed, the country’s counter-terrorism agency said on Saturday.
The defendants appeared before four specially constituted courts set up on a military base in the town of Kanji, in the central state of Niger.
The sentences ranged from 10 to 30 years, all with hard labour, a spokesperson said. Nigeria has been conducting mass trials for terrorism-related offences since 2017 and has secured convictions against 785, official sources say.
Violent insurgency
Boko Haram’s campaign of violence began in northeastern Nigeria in 2002 and has since spread to neighboring countries including Cameroon, Chad and Niger, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions. The strict Wahabbi group opposes the Westernisation of Nigeria, which it blames for the country corruption.
Its tactics include suicide bombings and armed assaults, including an attack on the UN building in Abuja.
In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in Chibok and burned down a government college, killing dozens of schoolboys who were trapped inside.
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