South Africa Labour Groups Reject Migrant Blame for Economic Crisis

June 18, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

South Africa’s major labour federations have warned that growing hostility towards migrants risks shifting attention away from deeper economic and governance challenges, calling for stronger enforcement of labour laws and reforms to address unemployment and inequality.

The organisations represented under the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) said frustrations over job shortages, poverty, crime and declining public services are legitimate concerns but should not be attributed to foreign workers.

“South Africa's economic crisis was not created by migrants. It is rooted in economic stagnation, deindustrialisation, mass unemployment, corruption, austerity, weak governance and the failure to build an economy that serves the majority,” the council said during a media briefing on rising immigration tensions.

The statement was issued by federations including the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) and the National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU).

The labour bodies said anti-migrant sentiment has increasingly become a political tool that risks dividing workers while diverting attention from structural economic problems. They argued that removing foreign nationals from workplaces or communities would not resolve unemployment, restore public services or revive industries.

“Migrants must not be made scapegoats for failures they did not create,” the council said, adding that addressing economic weaknesses requires job creation, improved governance and stronger state institutions.

The federations also criticised businesses that employ undocumented migrants to reduce labour costs, arguing that such practices harm both local and foreign workers by weakening wage standards and labour protections.

They called for employers who knowingly violate labour laws to face investigation and penalties, saying enforcement should focus on companies that exploit vulnerable workers rather than only targeting migrants.

The groups further highlighted weaknesses in border management, labour inspection systems and public institutions as factors contributing to public frustration over migration.

They warned against unlawful actions by individuals or groups, including street checks, workplace raids and forced removals, saying immigration enforcement should remain the responsibility of authorised state institutions.

The labour organisations backed the implementation of South Africa’s National Labour Migration Policy and related employment legislation, but cautioned that policies would have limited value without properly funded institutions and effective enforcement.

They also called for wider regional and continental development efforts to reduce economic disparities across Africa, saying unequal development patterns continue to influence migration flows towards stronger economies such as South Africa.

Source: FSX Business News