Amnesty International has warned that Angolan women and children displaced by drought into Namibia face serious human rights abuses, citing limited access to registration and legal protection for those forced across borders by natural disasters.
In a report released on Wednesday, Amnesty said the absence of safe and legal migration pathways has left thousands of Angolans vulnerable to arrest, detention and deportation.
The organisation documented cases where fear of immigration enforcement shaped daily decisions, including whether to seek healthcare.
The report, titled “The Drier It Gets the Longer You Have to Walk, The Deeper You Have to Dig”, highlights how recurrent drought in southern Angola, particularly in Cunene, Huíla and Namibe provinces, has eroded traditional pastoral systems and driven families into northern Namibia in search of food, water and livelihoods.
Women and children are disproportionately affected, often undertaking risky journeys across informal border crossings without documentation.
Amnesty’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said Namibian authorities must adopt a rights‑based approach to migration.
“The protection of already marginalised Angolans who are forced to move to Namibia in search of livelihoods is not just a humanitarian concern. This is a human rights crisis that demands international solidarity, including legal protection against refoulement,” Chagutah said.
Between May 2024 and May 2026, Amnesty interviewed 167 people, including displaced Angolans, community leaders, officials and UN representatives.
The organisation found that undocumented migrants were charged higher hospital fees than Namibians, pushing many to delay treatment until illness became severe.
Housing conditions for displaced families were described as overcrowded and inadequate, with many living in makeshift shelters.
The report also documented instances of collective expulsions.
In June 2025, Amnesty witnessed Namibian authorities rounding up about 40 Angolan nationals, including women and children, in Opuwo and transporting them to the Ruacana border without individual screening or asylum information.
Amnesty said such practices raise serious concerns under international law prohibiting collective expulsion and requiring protection against forced return.
Namibia’s immigration framework currently does not provide pathways for climate‑driven displacement.
While Angolan passport holders can enter visa‑free for limited periods, this does not confer rights to work or long‑term residence.
Many drought‑affected migrants lack passports altogether, leaving them with few options to regularize their stay.
Amnesty called on Namibia to honour its international obligations by ensuring displaced Angolans can access registration and documentation, and by conducting individual assessments before deportations.
It also urged Angola to strengthen climate adaptation and drought preparedness measures, noting that weak infrastructure and limited finance have undermined resilience in affected provinces.
JN/APA