As 2022 slowly draws to a close, it is worth noting that many delays, a lack of political will and numerous uncompleted tasks still riddle the mobile community landscape. It is also worth reflecting on the fact that each such act also has repercussions on the lives of people and threatens social cohesion. Refugee Digest […]
As issues around mobile people continue to be in the forefront of South African politics, it has been interesting to note two trends – seemingly going in somewhat different directions – emerging amongst cabinet ministers. While one should not read the statements of Ministers Phaahla and Cele as changes in the direction of policy with […]
Over the past week or two there have been significant events in the world of mobile communities in South Africa. The Minister of Home Affairs rather unexpectedly extended the validity of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits, which met with very different responses. Secondly, Operation Dudula, which has hitherto used strategies around mobilisation and various forms of […]
Of great significance, the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has announced that at the end of 2023 the Lesotho Special Permits will not be renewed. This follows a similar decision regarding the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits. The Minister has indicated that this is part of an overall redesign of migration policy. The Lesotho permits […]
Towards the end of the first week of August, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, acting in terms of the Immigration Act, added 39 further skills to the Critical Skills List. These are mostly in the med- ical area, and could be grounds for a critical skills visa or for permanent residence for foreigners who possess […]
The extreme vulnerability of mobile people, especially undocumented mobile people, continues to make headlines internationally. Two months ago we witnessed the discovery of 53 corpses of migrants found in a truck on the border of Mexico and the USA. More recently, a number of migrants died of dehydration while crossing the border between Chad and […]
ODigest 66 Refugees, Migrants and Displaced Persons by Peter-John Pearsonver the past month Operation Dudula, which remains at present one of the touchstones of the South African reality around immigration, xenophobia and crafting the migration narrative, has taken decisive steps in broadening and attempting to legitimise its ideology, branding and operations. It has done this […]
The rise and seeming popularity of Operation Dudula (translated: ‘to push away’) has in many ways dominated the refugee and migrant space in recent times. Many fear that the sharp xenophobic narratives will, if given publicity and on the basis of repetition, become dangerously dominant, with dire consequences. Many also fear that the modus operandi […]
Issues involving foreign nationals ranging from the sharp rise in xenophobia to the ongoing contestation around Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP), the ‘quota system’ in employment for foreign nationals, and the failure to physically re-open services for mobile communities at The Department of Home Affairs (especially the Refugee Reception Offices, RROs), all contribute to a growing […]
Narratives around various categories of mobile people continue to be deeply divisive and highly contested. Added to this, new Directives have recently emerged, especially from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), raising the qualification barriers for permanent residence status. Failures across a range of routine responsibilities have rendered many mobile people unnecessarily vulnerable. The suspension […]
