THE migration policy in SA was still like that under apartheid, with much harassment of so-called illegal immigrants, according to a new report by the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.
The policy not only criminalised migration, but fuelled xenophobia, it said. Government policy remained geared towards security concerns and population control, the report stated. This approach, shaped by pre-1994 concerns, was based on the premise that considerable numbers of economic migrants wanted to come to stay in SA and large numbers were illegal migrants.
The “undocumenteds”, as the report described them, number 500000 people, including asylum-seekers, refugees and those waiting for bureaucrats to resolve their paperwork.
“This focus on population control is complemented by the enforcement role of the police and the tendency to confuse undocumented migrants and criminals,” said the report, which was launched in Pretoria on Friday.
The 48-page document came in the wake of a police raid on Johannesburg Central Methodist Church last week. The church is a shelter for hundreds of asylum seekers and homeless people. About 1500 people were rounded up by police who claimed to have been looking for criminals and illegal immigrants.
Entitled, Surplus People? Undocumented and other vulnerable migrants in SA, the report is the outcome of a fact-finding mission to SA undertaken last year by the federation, which has 155 affiliate organisations in 105 countries.
The report said another assumption of the present approach was that SA’s borders were impossible to monitor because of their length and geographic features. In terms of this logic, enforcement of migration law needed to take place at the community level, where migrants lived, worked and studied.
Guided by such thinking, government migration policy focused on rendering SA inhospitable for undocumented migrants through arrests, restricting access to jobs, services and temporary residence, said federation deputy president Arnold Tsunga at the report’s release.
“The spirit with which it was done is to try to improve the administrative and legislative policy framework within which SA’s government deals with issues of migration,” he said.
The study claimed that SA’s migration policy ignored the fact a large majority of migrants entered SA legally. Many were cross-border traders, seasonal, circular or temporary migrants who did not wish to settle in SA. Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho were cited as the major source of undocumented migrants. Tsunga said the federation found accurate statistics backing official policy were hard to come by. Also, “there was no knowledge” of the number of all non-nationals in SA. Estimates ranged from
3-million to 6-million.
A growing trend reported by the federation was that increasing numbers of children were entering SA through the Zimbabwean and Mozambican border posts. These young migrants seemed to stay in border areas and were working on farms or engaged in the informal sector.
Among several recommendations it made, the federation urged authorities to ratify international human rights instruments as well as the Southern Africa Development Community protocol on the facilitation of movement of persons, signed in 2005.
The federation also urged SA to ensure respect for due process and migrants’ rights and dignity throughout arrest, detention and deportation.
Business Day
READER OPINIONS
ebygum • airbud@tiscali.co.uk Subject: With regard to the above Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:44:29 • May I point out that the above person appears to believe that Human Rights (like eating, breathing, loving, having a secure home and job and family life) are White evils that Black people shouldn't have.
Also that native born whites should be deported from their homeland because of their colour.
Ignores Coloureds and Asians, because he apparently doesn't think they exist, or aren't African.
Is unaware of the support that illegal immigrants recieve in European countries whilst South Africa police beat up refugees in churches.
And only believes Africans (Not White Asian or Coloured) have the right to own land businesses or property in Africa.
Apart from demonstrating what is wrong with Afria today, perhaps he could explain to us what he would think of an African American or Black, Algerian descended Frenchman who tried to buy a house or business in South Africa?
Sine by his definition they would be Pale Parasites
Omugabe • dziva@sanandresano.com Subject: IGNORE EUROPEAN-BASED ORGANZATION Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:47:10 • As usual, it is strongly advised that Africans ignore those evil european-based organizations. Their existence and activities are to further white domination of the planet.
Let those hypocritical, racist and evil european-based organization be concerned about the evil european treatment of immigrants in european countries FIRST!
What South Africans should be concerned about is removing the pale parasites who invaded from europe.
Those wicked white invaders to Southern Africa SHOULD BE THE FIRST to be dispossessed and remove from African space.
In this way, Africans can reclaim their Lands, Wealth & Resources and live happily ever after, as they once did before the UNPROVOKED white invasion of African space.
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