The integration of migration into municipal development planning in the city of uMhlathuze in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract Despite the Sustainable Development Goal target 10.7.2, which aims to facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration through implementing planned and well-managed migration policies at various government levels, this remains understudied at the local level. Using an institutional liberalism lens, this paper analyses migrant integration into municipal development planning in the city of uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Following a qualitative case study approach, 20 municipal officials were interviewed, and municipal documents were reviewed to collect data analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that despite the increasing number of migrants in the municipality, migration is not integrated into municipal development planning. The exclusion of international migrants from municipal planning aggravates the service delivery backlog and underscores inefficiencies in municipal planning. This study enhances knowledge and informs policy for South African policymakers and development stakeholders while elucidating how municipalities address international migration issues.