The African Union (AU) Commission, in collaboration with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), is set to host the 9th Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM IX) in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa, from December 16th to 18th, 2025. The forum will focus on the timely theme: “Smart, Integrated and Secure Border Management: Leveraging Technology for Efficient Human Mobility and Trade in Africa.” Why Border Technology is Crucial? The necessity for this forum stems from the fact that many African borders still operate on “outdated and inefficient systems,” which create significant “bottlenecks” for travellers, traders, and migrant workers.
These fragmented border procedures restrict labour mobility, slow down trade, and undermine the continent’s integration goals, particularly the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) and the Free Movement of Persons Protocol. PAFoM IX aims to provide solutions by spotlighting the shift towards modern, technology-enabled systems. Discussions will focus on the deployment of digital identity systems, smart border platforms, automated entry/exit procedures, and real-time data sharing to transform borders into safer and more dependable gateways.
Key Sessions and OutcomesThe three-day event is structured into distinct sessions: Stronger regional action against Trafficking in Persons (TiP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SoM). The forum will bring together a high-level delegation, including ministers, Directors-General of Immigration, RECs, UN agencies, and experts in border technologies. PAFoM, first established in 2006, continues its mandate to help AU Member States strengthen migration governance by harmonizing continental approaches and feeding recommendations directly into AU decision-making processes.
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