Govt, Amnesty butt heads over Angolan refugees

The Namibian government has accused Amnesty International of publishing a report on displaced Angolan women and children without adequately consulting authorities or giving them time to respond.

The criticism comes after Amnesty on 2 September accused Namibian authorities of failing to provide adequate legal protection to Angolans displaced by drought, warning that women and children face serious human rights risks, including arrest, detention and deportation.

In a response issued by the international relations ministry, government said it had taken note of Amnesty's report on the situation.

Government said Namibia's management of international migration is conducted in accordance with the Constitution, applicable immigration laws and policies, as well as the country's international and regional obligations.

These obligations, it said, include protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, safeguarding the rights and welfare of women and children, respecting family unity and ensuring access to essential basic services for people on Namibian territory.

The movement of people across the Namibia-Angola border is a matter of “mutual interest and concern" and requires close cooperation between the two countries, the ministry said.

“The matter continues to be dealt with in consultation with Angola and other relevant stakeholders,” the statement said.

Officials said government is committed to finding a “lawful, humane, durable and dignified” solution to the presence of Angolan women and children wandering the streets of Namibian towns.

Amnesty's concerns

Amnesty's report, based on interviews conducted between May 2024 and May 2026 with at least 167 people, paints a different picture.

The organisation said recurrent drought in southern Angola, particularly in Cunene, Huíla and Namibe provinces, had undermined farming and pastoral livelihoods and pushed people across the border in search of food, water, grazing land, healthcare, work and family support.

The human rights NGO said Angolans displaced by drought had limited options to regularise their stay in Namibia because the country's immigration and protection laws did not adequately account for climate-driven displacement.

This, Amnesty warned, has left many people in irregular status and living in fear of arrest, detention and deportation, which in turn affects their willingness to seek healthcare and other essential services.

The organisation said more than 1 000 Angolan nationals had been returned to Angola in 2026 after being found in Namibia without regular immigration status.

It also said it witnessed Namibian authorities on 4 June 2025 round up about 40 Angolan nationals, including women and children, at a community centre in Opuwo and transport them more than 100 km to the Ruacana border for handover to Angolan authorities.

Amnesty said those people were returned without individual screening, information about asylum or protection options, or an assessment of the risks they might face upon return.

This has raised concerns about collective expulsion and the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they face serious risks to their rights.

Amnesty further alleged that Angolan children had in some instances been subjected to government-facilitated forcible returns, while insufficient public information was available to establish whether appropriate safeguards had been applied.

The organisation also highlighted living conditions among some displaced Angolans in northern Namibia, saying families were living in makeshift shelters made from branches, plastic and cardboard, with some without shelter altogether.

It said undocumented Angolans were charged higher fees at hospitals than Namibian nationals, causing some to delay treatment until illnesses became severe or avoid clinics altogether because of fears that health facilities were linked to immigration enforcement.

‘Insufficient consultation’

Namibia's strongest criticism was directed at Amnesty's decision to publish its report without what government considers adequate engagement with the state.

“Namibia further notes, taking into consideration the need for constructive engagement in matters of this nature, that the report by Amnesty International was published without adequate prior consultation with the Namibian government or sufficient time for the government to provide relevant information, clarification and its views on the matters addressed in the report,” the statement said.

Amnesty, however, said in its published report that, at the time of publication, Namibian government officials had not responded to its request for comment.

Government said that while it respected the independence of civil society organisations, engagement with governments concerned was important when reports involved sensitive matters such as migration and humanitarian concerns.

It argued that such engagement would help ensure that relevant facts, legal and operational considerations, and the perspectives of affected parties were properly considered before publication.

Government did not, however, reject the need to address the humanitarian concerns raised around the Angolan women and children.

Instead, it reaffirmed its willingness to engage with Amnesty and other stakeholders to address the matter, saying the process should be guided by “humanity, dignity, security and regional cooperation”.

“The government remains committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all persons on its territory and to address matters of humanitarian concern lawfully, and in a principled and collaborative manner,” the statement said.

Amnesty, meanwhile, has called on Namibia to establish a rights-based migration framework that allows people displaced by drought and other natural disasters to obtain registration and documentation, and to conduct individual assessments before deportations.

The organisation also called for greater international cooperation and climate finance to help Angola and Namibia strengthen drought preparedness, adaptation and resilience.