AAYC Panel On Transformative Action To Restore Human Dignity Amid Migration And Inequality.
The fourth-day of the 2nd All Africa Youth Congress at the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) headquarters featured a powerful panel discussion on “Transforming Injustices that Undermine Human Dignity,” focusing on the urgent realities of migration, modern slavery and human rights across the continent. The session challenged participants to “understand in order to protect life,” drawing attention to the deep injustices that continue to strip Africans particularly youth and migrants of their dignity. Speakers underscored that migration, while a natural human phenomenon, has become a site of suffering, exploitation and inequality.
Recent data presented revealed that 146,000 people were intercepted enroute to Europe, while 8,938 lives were lost in 2024 due to migration-related tragedies. Of these, 2,452 deaths occurred in the Mediterranean Sea and 242 in Africa itself. The panel noted with concern that even those who survive face extreme exploitation through prostitution, forced labor and racism in destination countries.
The discussion also exposed the economic exploitation surrounding visa systems. It was observed that Western nations generated over $70 million in nonrefundable visa fees, with rejection rates between 40% and 50%, effectively turning migration control into a profit mechanism. While intra-African travel shows progress with Benin, The Gambia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Seychelles allowing visa-free entry the panel emphasized that mobility within Africa remains limited and often inaccessible for the majority of young people.
On human rights and African dignity, the panel affirmed that rights are not a foreign import but the very foundation of African identity. Citing alarming realities such as rising gender-based violence, deep economic inequality and political exclusion, the speakers called for renewed civic participation and accountability. “When human rights are respected, Africans live with pride, equality and mutual respect,” they said, invoking Ubuntu as the moral compass of the continent.
The session ended with a stirring appeal to the youth to become educators, advocates and leaders who defend human dignity in every sphere.
