How warm is Africa's welcome?

Many South Africans are hostile towards those hoping to stay there

Ivory Coast has joined the ranks of South Africa and Libya where blacks from other African countries have been mistreated, forced to flee or even killed in xenophobic attacks.

A report by the United Nations on the state of war-torn Ivory Coast says half a million people have fled the country as a result of the civil war, ethnic tensions and xenophobia.

Nearly a third of the population in Ivory Coast is of foreign origin, but last year homes of immigrant workers were burned down.

Many foreigners were robbed and assaulted, allegedly by supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo.

The BBC's Africa Live programme asks when it comes to immigrants and refugees has the traditional African hospitality run out?

What has been your experience living as a refugee or immigrant in another African country?

Do Africans welcome foreigners from outside the continent more warmly than they do their fellow Africans?

Join the debate Wednesday, 20 August at 1630 and 1830 GMT. Use the form to send us your comments, some of which will be published below. If you would like to take part in the discussion, e-mail us with your telephone number.

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Anybody is welcome in our country Tanzania. A lot of freedom fighters have made it their home while fighting the Portuguese (in Mozambique and Angola) as well as the English (in former Rhodesia) and Apartheid (in South Africa). We still host over a million refugees from DRC, Burundi, Rwanda and Somalia. However it is important for migrants to behave well in their host countries to advance the course of ubuntu on our continent.
Masanzu, Tanzania

Sierra Leoneans definitely treat foreigners with much more respect than fellow Sierra Leoneans. I was fuming during my visit in January when two American women were visibly ushered to the front of the long queue at Freetown International Airport while the rest of us stood at the back. When I confronted the official, he simply exclaimed "These people are foreigners, they are here to help us."
Jacob Conteh, US

I'm Kenyan and my experience is that Kenyans are generally welcoming to foreigners. Any hostility would most probably be directed at the Somalis who are viewed as having contributed to the insecurity.
James Sang, Kenya

As a Kenyan I'd first like to apologise to Nashir Alibhai (see below) in Canada for his treatment. There are problems between black Kenyans and our countrymen of Indian origin primarily based on perceptions of race and of course economic disparities. Right or wrong, we need to address these issues. As Africans we already face so much prejudice from outside our continent. Let us try and be more charitable towards each other.
Wairimu Kuria, Kenya/USA

The proverb "Visitors bring feasting" is found in almost every African society. It is only Westernization, with its selfishness in the name of "economy" that is now destroying this rich culture.
William Shakespeare Pashi, Adjumani/Uganda.

Do Africans welcome foreigners better than their fellow Africans? OF COURSE THEY DO! Some are even demi-Gods, in this order: Fair skins/whites are closest to God; Asians are a bit further back as they are disliked and not trusted; Coloureds or Mixed-Race People are even further back in the queue! By virtue of being born in Africa, I am African, but I am not considered so because I have Indian, mixed-race, black and white blood running in my veins.
Ivan Mark Radhakrishnan, Proud to be mixed race

What happened in Ivory Coast is not an aberration, it is the norm. It just boiled to the surface. The Gabonese, for example, believe every crime committed in Gabon has a Cameroonian trademark. At the root of it lies poverty, not deep-seated hatred.
Che Sunday, Cameroon

So much noise has been made about 'Ghanaian hospitality'. But I find that, even as a fellow West African, getting the resident permit, putting your money in the bank and being reminded every day that you are a foreigner is perfect hospitality to the insane.
Tony Izuogu, Nigerian/Ghana

The premise of the question is wrong. Do you ask how warm the welcome is in Asia or Europea? Stop generalizing. Deal with Africa on a country-by-country basis. Otherwise you continue to perpetuate the myth that all black people are alike.
James Mensah, USA

African hospitality has not run out. It is hiding behind a thick veil of rampant poverty, lack of access to basic social services, high crime rates, HIV/AIDS, political instability, ridiculously low literacy rates, corruption, etc. Globalization and the little benefits most Africans reap creates a system where everyone is looking out for himself.
Fanta T. K., USA

I'm a Sailor and I've been in many African Countries. The hardships mean that frankly Africans are no longer as brothers and sisters to one another.
Raphson Day Amentor, Ghanaian on a trip in Guinea-Conakry

I lived in South Africa for couple of years and noticed the problem with 'black foreigners'. My advantage was that they said I looked like them. The problem came when they spoke to me in their language and I could not respond.
Anne, Kenya

I am a South African of Indian origin. I have always been made to feel that I am less African than black Africans. I have been called "ama-Indian" countless times and I have been made to feel like I am loyal to India. All the while, I regard South Africa as home, not India. In cricket matches I support South Africa. I accept South Africa for what she is...why can't she accept me for what I am?
Shaila Bhajee, South Africa

Xenophopia in South Africa is nothing compared to that in Europe where racism is rife.
Roble, Djibouti

As an African, I have always enjoyed the diversity and yes similarities in the worldview of Africans generally. My dream is to live in Botswana, South Africa or Ghana some day.
Osagie Ayanru, USA

Black South Africans have never enjoyed the citizenship of their country. Our lives are still rooted in the politics of race. Now we feel threatened by an influx of unskilled persons from neighboring states. All we need is patience and understanding that we come from an abusive past. We appreciate your criticisms and acknowledge that we are wrong by treating fellow Black Africans as if they are not our very own.
Juda Dagane, Mafikeng/South Africa

The issue of maltreatment of Africans by Africans within Africa cannot be restricted to South Africa alone. Guineans were no better when thousands of Sierra Leoneans were beaten up in Conakry after fleeing their homes during our crazy war. But in Germany I have to be careful not to be taken for a Nigerian!
K Dumbuya, Sierra Leone/Germany

It was not long ago that people moving into North America where termed pioneers. I say good luck to all the modern day pioneers. Just beware it has become a greater challenge.
Iain, South Africa

Kenya is host to a large number of refugees, especially from Somalia. We as citizens sometimes get fed up with the growing insecurity, which we believe these refugees contribute to. In addition, the quality of life in neighbourhoods where they live has gone down. It would be better if they were restricted to remote refugee camps.
Mike Kizzitto, Kenya

Most African countries have a more relaxed policy of visas for European and North American visitors than their African brothers. In Ethiopia, with the exception of Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti, other African countries may not acquire a visa on arrival. I recall one Ugandan scholar urging the Ethiopian Prime Minister in a continental gathering, to set an example by lifting all entry restrictions for Africans to enter Ethiopia, Addis Ababa being considered the Capital of Africa. The Ethiopian Premier did not say much on this issue and I do not know when we Africans shall be able to move freely in our continent without being asked where we are from.
Mesfin W. Gebremichael, Ethiopian/Tanzania

I am a Liberian refugee in Ghana. Here in Ghana we have to buy water, go to the latrine a a place called The Gulf, in the Bushes almost 45 minutes walk from the camp and we live in houses 5 feet tall. Life as a refugee is very frustrating.
Julie T Wilson, Liberia/Ghana

The South Africans have forgotten the hospitality African countries gave them when they were suffering under Apartheid. They should learn that we are in a global economy where nations should open up for movement, information and people.
Elias Mutungi, USA/Uganda

Generally S.Africans are an ungrateful lot, we sacrificed our countries - Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola - only to be paid back today with this animal called Xenophobia.
Chinangwa, Zimbo in UK

If Botswana, Namibia and South Africa can govern themselves and have a better standard of leaving, why can't the rest of Africa take a leaf and work hard to develop their countries. Well, I think Africans should learn to stay in their own countries and not run to the next African country seemingly doing better than theirs.
Chipasha Lwao, Zambia

I am a Liberian refugee who has lived in Nigeria and I currently reside in Ghana. African hospitality is unquestionable.
Ekena Wesley, Liberian/Ghana

African hospitality is real.
Harrahs Malinda, Kenya/German

Xenophobia is real. Especially in South Africa.
Kenny, USA

In Ethiopia, no matter what, the degree of hospitality is the same for anybody regardless where you are from or what color you are.
Daniel N. Aberra, Ethiopia

Generally any African country that believes it has some economic strength sees fellow "poor" Africans as opportunists. From my experience in Egypt for example, foreigners, especially whites, are given more of a welcome, because of the dollar factor. As a black African I certainly noticed that those from sub-saharan Africa are looked upon as beggars. If there is a crime, the first suspects are black Africans.
Celes, Cameroon

Africa's Welcome is quite good. That's why American and European tourists flock here to visit and even to settle. As a Kenyan I believe we are more welcoming because so many nationalities have fled here or have come voluntarily to do business or because we have the United Nations office for Africa.
Issak Kullow, Kenya

I was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. My parents were immigrants from India who settled in Kenya in the 1940s. Personally I suffered racial discrimation in all walks of life. My citizenship was taken away at the age of 25. I was denied trade licences to expand the family business. My daughter born in Nairobi in 1998 was classified stateless although both my wife and I are born in Kenya. We now live in Canada having recently become citizens of this wonderful country. We never have to bow down to anyone for anything. We are treated like human beings.
Nashir Alibhai, Canada

I personally think Africans are losing the hospitality we are known for. These days an African respects a European more than his or her fellow African.
Nurudeen Darou, England

I have found that Africans who come from countries with deep ethnic cleavages are less tolerant of other blacks. For example look at the Nigerian-Jamaican tensions in London. The fact that Jamaicans and other West Indians have black skins doesn`t mean a thing to the average Nigerian. Pan-Africanism is dead. More than ever before. Continental Africans are tuned in to bio-cultural signifiers such as accent and skin-colour.
Joseph Collins, Guyana

I am a South African and personally I have no problem with foreign black Africans and I do not think that black South Africa necessarily hates foreign blacks. It is just that South Africa is a rough place. Foreigners cannot take the heat. For example if a foreigner gets mugged he cries foul and says it was done because he is a foreigner, while we black South Africans get the same treatment and we cannot say it is because we are foreigners.
Bongani Sibisi, South Africa

In South Africa's case it is just history repeating itself. During the gold rush days in Johannesburg, European immigrants were scorned by the Boers as "Uitlanders". It is happening the world over and it will happen many more times in many more places.
Guy, SA

We have been welcoming foreigners since the 18th century. But it is true we are easily disappointed by our fellow Africans. This implies that we are more full of hospitality to global cultures.
Kuot Elijah Buol, Australia

I cannot speak for all of Africa. What i can say is that I think my country Nigeria is basically friendly. We have played host to a number of our "brothers" a number of times. But once in a while economic and political issues come into play and that welcome turns cold. We asked foreigners to leave in the early 1980's and just recently closed our borders with Benin republic, but they have since been re -opened. I have heard of the treatment of Nigerians in other African countries but that treatment is just the same as the countries outide Africa e.g Belgium, Portugal and Germany. The reasons for this "xenophobia" differs but it is the same reaction to all foreigners. "Get out!".
Utty, Nigeria

Xenophobia is brought about by the simple fact that the migrants from up north are bringing with them crime waves. For example, there is stock theft in the north of South Africa by Zimbabweans, and there is the sex and drug trade lead by Nigerians. Our poorer communities are fed up with these foreigners offering themselves up as cheap employment. They are illegal and the employer does not need to adhere to our labour laws. There are 2 sides to every story!
Kyle, South Africa

I live in Johannesburg where crime has been associated with the rapid rise in immigration from African countries. I live in a community where drugs are a huge problem and are readily available from wealthy Nigerian druglords. Stop immigration now and reduce crime in our country!
John Robinson, South Africa

You used Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa and Libya as your examples, but if you look at what has been happening in those countries (civil war, ending of apartheid, and sanctions from the "developed" countries) it is no surprise. I am disappointed that the BBC would make such generalizations. Ghana is an incredibly welcoming African country. I lived there for two years and I cannot wait to go back.
Sarah Hesse, USA

Ah, people are finally noticing that Africa isn't a country. There is a lot of inter-national xenophobia. It's a shame but humans are like that, unfortunately.
Amoroso Gombe, Kenya

African hospitality has not run out. But in times of hardship it is difficult to make ends meet. People blame it all on foreigners, just as they do in other parts of the world.
Samuel Olusegun, Italy

Africans will always be Africans. They will open a door for you when you are lost or in need. But at the end of the day a country like Botswana should scrutinize those who come and invite them to help us develop the country. Those foreigners who find nothing to do steal and harass peace-loving people, hence this xenophobia. But not all foreigners are a headache. Some are even more productive especially where they offer skills that are lacking.
Regiemore, Botswana

There is a general tendency to look down upon black foreigners as beggars while white foreigners are respected and treated as tourists. Take South Africa where there is a derogatory term used to describe black foreigners "Makwerekwere", yet white foreigners have no nicknames.
Augustine Gumbi, Lusaka/Zambia

Having spent a third of my life in South Africa since I turned 18, it saddens me that a country full of warm and caring people has let itself fall into the xenophobia trap, especially when one considers that so many South Africans were exiled in other African states. But there is no point in berating this situation if we are prepared to do nothing about it. Attitudes like these subsist because we let them.
Anna Richerby, UK

Faced with the hardship of life and the scarcity of resources, locals often feel their existence is threatened and they use "nativeness" as the sole criterion for access to goods and services. This tension is often fueled by political opportunists. Most people like to share in good times, but when the going gets tough they resort to basic human survival instincts.
Kalala Kabongo-Mianda, D.R. Congo

African hospitality has not run out. Yes, most Africans may be more tolerant of foreigners than other Africans, but you cannot rule out the expected gain, however erroneous that is. Africans are in a dire state as of now, but there is always a welcoming smile to be seen.
Coleman, UK

I think the biggest culprits in all this are the politicians and journalists who are always blaming everything on foreigners. I personally have been born of foreign parentage in this country Zambia. I have noted that all other black foreigners are FULLY accepted except from a few selected countries. (My parent's origin being one of those rejected.) It is quite a painful experience.
Mvula Katchi, Zambia

There will always be conflict in this world due to the differences in people's beliefs, cultures, ideologies and character. So if two people come from a different country, a different tribe or clan, and are of different sex, they will create divisions among themselves. Until the world is fully intermarried - if it is possible! - people will continue to shun and despise their brothers and sisters.
Majugo Gerald, Uganda

I was planing to visit home in Ghana and suggest to my brother that why don't we go on vacation to Cape Town, or Cairo, or Nairobi instead of going to Europe like most Africans do? So I am disappointed and almost heart-broken to know that Africans are hostile towards one another.
Akin, USA