Mauritius: Mauritians Divided On Cross-Border Mobility for Southern Africans, Want Fewer Immigrants

22 January 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Asafika Mpako and Stephen Ndoma

More than half of adults say they have considered emigrating.

Key findings

  • Four in 10 Mauritians (41%) say Southern Africans should be able to move freely across international borders in order to trade or work in other countries, while a similar share (39%) believe the government should limit the cross-border movement of people and goods.
  • One-third (34%) of respondents say that in practice, crossing international borders is "difficult" or "very difficult." Only 18% describe it as easy.
  • Half (50%) of citizens see immigrants' economic impacts on Mauritius as negative, while only 28% consider them beneficial.
  • Half (50%) of Mauritians say they wouldn't mind or would like living next door to foreign workers or immigrants, but 48% would not welcome the idea.
  • A slim majority (55%) express tolerance toward refugees.
  • More than half say the government should reduce the number of foreign job seekers it allows to enter the country (49%) or eliminate such immigration altogether (4%).
  • An even greater majority (62%) favour reducing or eliminating entry by refugees.
  • More than half (53%) of respondents say they have considered leaving Mauritius.
  • This figure is highest among the most educated citizens (70%), youth (71%), and unemployed people looking for work (69%).
  • The most common reasons cited for potential emigration are economic, led by finding work opportunities.
  • The most popular destinations among potential emigrants are Europe (35%), North America (28%), and Australia (25%).

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Mauritius has a long history of migration, with a past profoundly marked by waves of voluntary and involuntary migration. Its nearly 1.3 million population consists of descendants of colonial merchants and administrators, African slaves, sugar-plantation owners, traders, Indian indentured labourers, and Chinese and Bangladeshi migrant workers (Ravi, 2022).

Today, Mauritius is both a destination and a country of origin for international migration. Migrant workers accounted for 17% of the increase in the country's workforce over the past 10 years. At present, there are about 35,200 migrant workers - more than 80% of them men - working in various sectors of the economy, including construction, manufacturing, hospitality, trade, and information and communication technology (United Nations Network on Migration, 2021).

On the other hand, many Mauritians have left the small island-nation for greener pastures in Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and other countries. Some analysts have warned of a "brain drain" as young Mauritians, in particular, eye better economic opportunities overseas (Ramtohul, 2021). In 2023 alone, more than 5,000 young people migrated to Canada, while others settled elsewhere abroad (News Moris, 2024). To counteract this trend, the Mauritian Diaspora Scheme offers incentives to encourage Mauritians abroad to return to their homeland and contribute to the economic development of their country (Economic Development Board Mauritius, 2024).

Aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 10.7, which aims to "facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration practices," Mauritius' 2018 National Migration and Development Policy seeks to leverage the benefits of migration to boost economic growth and development while curbing its negative consequences (International Organization for Migration, 2021).

Afrobarometer's Round 10 survey sought ordinary Mauritians' perspectives on migration. The findings reveal that citizens are divided on whether people should be able to move freely across borders in Southern Africa, and majorities want fewer immigrants to come into their country. Fully half of respondents do not perceive immigrants as contributing positive economic value, and many voice reservations about having foreign workers or refugees as neighbours.

Meanwhile, more than half of Mauritians, including more than six in 10 of the country's labour force, have themselves considered emigration, mostly for economic reasons. The most popular destination for potential Mauritian emigrants is Europe, followed closely by North America and Australia. The youth, highly educated citizens, and those who are unemployed but actively seeking work are especially likely to contemplate moving abroad.

Asafika Mpako Asafika is the communications coordinator for Southern Africa

Stephen Ndoma Stephen is the assistant project manager for Southern Africa

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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