South Africa Set to Gain a Flood of Zim Immigrants
June 30 2008 by Robbie Ragless
As Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe is re-elected as the countries leader in what is being called a 'sham' election, the number of immigrants flooding into South Africa from Zimbabwe is expected to escalate.
Despite recent xenophobic violence in South Africa, the political turmoil in Zimbabwe has resulted in thousands of people seeking refuge, reports www.globalvisas.com. As a result Human Rights Watch has urged South Africa to open their door to their suffering neighbours.
According to Braam Hanekom of People Against Suffering, Suppression, Oppression and Poverty (PASSOP), 200 000 Zimbabweans are set to come into South Africa following the election results. And the queue of undocumented immigrants at the South African border has already swollen, with people waiting as long as two weeks to be taken to the Department of Home Affairs.
In light of these issues a review of current South African immigration laws has been suggested by Home Affairs Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba. As Human Rights Watch says, the sheer amount of illegal immigrants in and coming to South Africa represents "a failure of foreign policy", and clearly this needs to be addressed.
It is true that these immigrants should be treated fairly and get protection, however how South Africa will keep up with the influx of illegals while at the same time curb violence remains to be seen.
It is estimated that over three million illegal immigrants have come to South Africa in the past year. With these numbers rising by the day and the common belief that these mostly semi or unskilled workers are putting a strain on the already overloaded labour market, a solution to the problem seems far off.
Statistics reveal that South Africa's unemployment rate is between 20% and 40%. This has been attributed to being the root cause of the rousing tension between locals and immigrants and with the torrent of Zimbabweans; the threat of more violence is a major fear.
South Africa is the economic hub of Africa and before the recent violence; it was an obvious option for those looking to escape the political and economic troubles that are rampant in Zimbabwe. Now, Zimbabweans don't have many options and choose South Africa despite the threat of violence.
South African immigration law states that it is essential to protect the health, security and rights of South Africans particularly when it comes to their employment rights. South Africa is not open to allowing in immigrants who will not contribute to the country, therefore semi and unskilled workers are not usually accepted as migrant workers in South Africa. Zimbabweans fall into this category.
South Africa has a mass of unskilled labour and an already massive unemployed community. Therefore South Africa being open to allowing in migrants who are illegal seems to be impossible. The South African government do however say that applications for skilled immigrants are sought after.
It is clear that there is a need for a solution to the overflowing immigration bubble at South Africa's borders. The question remains how and when will this be addressed.
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