The International Organization for Migration (IOM)

SOUTH AFRICA’S MIGRATION POLICY:

SOME CONSIDERATIONS

The Migration Agency

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Concluding Remarks

Coherent and systematic migration

management

Ensure respect for Human Rights, Dignity and Well-being of All Migrants

Meet Different Needs of Migrant

Sub-groups

Meet Refugee Protection

Obligations

Meet Migration Management

Objectives

Inter-State and Inter-Agency Co-operation

Regular Migration Options

Address Underlying

Factors

CONTENTS

• Introduction: IOM Key facts and figures

• SA Migration issues and trends

• Broad policy issues

• Thematic policy issues

• Conclusions

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AT A GLANCE

149 Member States and 12 Observer States*

Over 2,700 programmes with a USD 1.3 billion budget in 2011

450 offices in over 120 countries

IOM is …

A staff of 5,400

The Migration Agency

The global, inter-governmental organization dealing with the entire range of migration issues

Or, in more detail …*including 70 global and regional IGOs and NGOs

Migration in South Africa: trends and issues

• Migration in SA is a historical contemporary issue.

• Contribution of migration to SA’s development:

• SA is a transit and destination country for international migrants

• SA has a high incidence of internal migration

• Push and pull factors:

SA Migration Trends

• The historical patterns of migration in South Africa form the basis for current trends:– 1 Continued high levels of international

and circular migration– 2 Continued high levels of internal

migration– 3 Increased competition for access to

services between South Africans and migrants

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Mixed Migration Flows

• Unaccompanied Minors

• Victims of Trafficking

• Refugees

• Economic migrants, high and low skilled

Complex Phenomena

Mixed flows: an accurate reflection of the diversity of migration itself

Composed of, among others:

• Stranded Migrants

• Migrants Moving for Environmental Reasons

• Smuggled Migrants

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Mixed Migration FlowsManifestation

Generally come to public attention as emergencies:

- A single migration event or a series of events

- Gulf of Aden

- Canary Islands

- Sonora & Sahara Deserts

- A group of migrants arrive in an irregular manner at a particular point of destination

Highly visible

East Africa to South Africa Route

• Ethiopians and Somali travel via the refugee camps and Nairobi in Kenya through Tanzania, Malawi or Mozambique into South Africa.

• Routes can change on very short notice, since smugglers constantly assess the situation (weather, road checks, officials on duty) and have the flexibly adapt to new circumstances.

• Main part of the journey is done over land with typical crossing into Tanzania by boat. Some few migrants can afford forged documents and fly to South Africa.

• Nairobi is a hub for irregular migration (also for transit from Afghanistan or Pakistan to Europe) and offers opportunities to easily access forged documents

Internal Migration in SA

SA Migration Statistics

Table 1: Statistics of South Africa compiled by the United Nations Economic and Social Department (UN -ESA)

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

International migrants 1,224,368 1,097,790 1,022,376 1,248,732 1,862,889

Refugees 0 96,651 14,801 28,699 35,911

Total population (thousands) in South Africa 36,745 41,375 44,872 48,073 50,492

International migrants as a % of population 3.3 2.7 2.3 2.6 3.7

Female migrants as % of internal migrants 37.3 38.9 40.1 41.4 42.7

Refugees as a % of internal migrants 0.0 8.8 1.4 2.3 1.9

Annual rate of change of migration stock 2000–2005: 4%; 2005–2010: 8%

Migration Policy Considerations

• POLICY OBJECTIVESOverall: effectively manage migration for the

socio-economic and political development of South Africa.

General:– 1.To provide an enabling, predictable and secure

environment for the legal and orderly movement of persons from, to and within South Africa.

– 2.To define and implement a balanced approach to migration management through facilitation and control interventions.

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• 3.To enhance national, regional and international cooperation on migration management.

• 4.To address migration-related issues comprehensively in a coordinated manner, that is, without achieving the objectives of one sphere at the expense of neglecting those of another

• 5. To ensure the prevention and combating of the ill effects of irregular migration and organized migration related crimes.

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SPECIFIC POLICY OBJECTIVES

• 1. To facilitate legal cross-border and third country movements while protecting the national borders from penetration or infiltration by irregular migrants, undesirable persons, goods, services and influences;

• 2. To attract investors, skilled workers and tourists with an enabling and predictable immigration environment;

• 3. To deliver with transparency and efficiency travel documents for South African nationals and immigration documents for foreign nationals through adequate procedures;

• 4. To maximize economic and labour opportunities for South Africans through migration, in particular in the context of regional integration processes and the free movement of persons;

SPECIFIC POLICY OBJECTIVES

• 5. To develop national responsiveness to migration-related regional integration needs;

• 6. To contribute to the security and stability of the country through border management and control of foreigners in the territory;

• 7. To prevent and combat irregular migration, in particular the smuggling of migrants and trafficking of persons;

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• 8. To promote government capacity to manage migration crime while promoting respect for and protection of migrant rights including combating discrimination and xenophobia;

• 9. To protect the interests and the rights of South Africans living abroad;

• 10. To harness the potential and cooperation of South African diaspora towards national development programmes while promoting a dialogue between the diaspora and the Government

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Specific Policy Objectives

• 11. To enhance and strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation and coordination as well as stakeholder cooperation for the effective management of migration in the country;

• 12. To support the adoption of e-governance as a crucial vehicle for the efficient delivery of migration services;

• 13. To improve the collection and sharing of migration data in the country;

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Specific Policy Objectives

• 14. To foster the integration of migration into the National Development Plan and other relevant national strategies;

• 15. To domesticate regional and international migration-related instruments;

• 16. To promote regional integration through advocacy for ratification of the SADC draft protocol on the facilitation of movement of persons.

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Thematic policy considerations

• Border Management

• Travel documents

• Travel document fraud

• Migration and Development, including:– Labour migration– Foreign migrant labour– SA migrant workers abroad– Migration for education

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Challenges

Lack of reliable migration data and

statistics

Labour Migration – creating legal

channels

Efficient Border Management

Options to return home

voluntary in a humane way

Migration and Development

Regional Cooperation on

migration

Combating Xenophobia and

integrating migrants

Smuggling and trafficking

IRREGULAR Migration

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Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA)

The objective of MIDSA is to support SADC member states in managing migration in a holistic and mutually beneficial manner, for the states involved and for the migrants themselves:

•The first Ministerial Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA) on managing Migration through Regional Cooperation was held in Windhoek, Namibia from the 15th to the 17th of November 2010

•This year’s MIDSA will be held in Mozambique. The topic of this year’s Ministerial MIDSA is Enhancing Intraregional Labour Migration toward Social and Economic Development in the SADC region

Cross cutting issues

• Migration and security

• Migration and health

• Migration and the environment

• International and regional cooperation

• Migration and human rights

• Migration data and information management

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Conclusions

• IOM appreciates this opportunity to make inputs on South Africa’s migration policy at this stage.

• IOM remains available for further discussions including policy and other related support to the Government of South Africa

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