Migration woes

Xenophobic violence has been mounting in South Africa recently, as mobs of anti-immigrant protesters march in Johannesburg and elsewhere, threatening African migrants and attacking foreign-owned businesses. (This link is free.) One anti-immigration group has set an arbitrary deadline for all undocumented migrants who are in the country to leave. That’s tomorrow, June 30.

It’s unclear what will happen if the migrants don’t leave — the group hasn’t said — but many in South Africa are worried. I reached out to John Eligon, our bureau chief in Johannesburg, to ask what’s happening, and why.

Sam: Let’s take this back to basics. Can you help us understand what things are like in South Africa these days?

John: In a word, tense! Over the past several months we’ve had a lot of protests against immigrants, and they’ve just been growing and growing. And there’s been a few instances of violence in which mobs have chased and attacked immigrants out of their homes and businesses. Recently, an immigrant from Malawi was killed. Already this year, we’ve seen thousands of immigrants leave South Africa because of the threats and the attacks.

Migration has long caused tensions in South Africa, because it has the continent’s largest economy. The fact is, most African migrants aren’t crossing the Mediterranean in search of greener pastures in Europe. Most go to other African countries. And South Africa is about as attractive a destination as any on the continent, because people think they can find work here. Officially, about three million immigrants live in South Africa, or about 5 percent of the population. But there are a lot more who are undocumented.

Have you noticed a change recently?

One thing I’ve found particularly startling in recent weeks is that we’ve essentially had migrant camps spring up on streets of major cities around South Africa. This is the wealthiest country on the continent and you don’t expect to see that here. But with so many immigrants scared to stay in their homes and rushing to leave the country, thousands have gone to these makeshift camps where the authorities are processing them and trying to get them out of the country.

Where does this anger at migrants come from?

Many South Africans blame foreigners for taking their jobs, committing crime and straining public resources. For all its economic might on the continent, South Africa is also one of the most unequal countries in the world. Poverty and unemployment are high. So is crime. Even though research and data suggest that immigrants are hardly drivers of these problems, they are often scapegoated. One survey found that seven out of 10 South Africans believe immigrants are bad for the economy.

What’s most fascinating to me is that it’s Black South Africans targeting other Black Africans. No one’s marching against or attacking the white Germans in Cape Town. In fact, there was a clip circulating on social media of one of the anti-immigrant leaders telling a white German who’s lived in the country for 20 years, “You are a part of us now.” These are the same activists telling Black Zimbabweans who have lived most of their lives in South Africa to go back to their country.

And now this is all coming to a head. What is this Tuesday deadline? Who set it?

The deadline is most closely tied to Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, one of the leading anti-immigrant activists, who is also a prominent Zulu leader. Ndabandaba has been leading groups of men dressed in traditional Zulu warrior regalia in demonstrations against immigrants. He has been most vocal about the June 30 deadline. But other anti-immigrant groups closely tied to him — most notably, a relatively new group called March and March — have also adopted that date.

It goes without saying that they have no official authorization to force immigrants out of the country. But this deadline has taken on a life of its own, stirring panic among South Africans across the board.

How is the South African government responding to the violence?

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned South Africans not to take the law into their own hands, saying that the country rejects xenophobia and Afrophobia. But the messages have been somewhat mixed. His government has also instituted a harsh crackdown on illegal immigration, with new workplace inspections, more stringent border controls and other measures that seemed meant to appease the anti-immigrant groups. It has also touted the fact that it’s been processing all the migrants who want to return to their native nations — and making a point to say that they’re issuing five-year bans to undocumented migrants on their way out.

The issue of migration isn’t going anywhere anytime soon — not with the world’s population continuing to grow and climate change and economics driving people from their home countries. What does that mean for Africa?

Africa is the youngest and fastest-growing continent. By 2050, it’s expected to have 2.5 billion people. Some analysts say internal migration can be good for the continent if government leaders manage it properly. Migrants can help balance labor needs across countries, increase productivity and grow the economy continentwide.

But many African officials feel that supporting too many migrants will make it difficult to manage internal challenges like poverty, joblessness, and already-strained electricity and water supplies, which can fuel unrest and backlash. With all that Africa has to offer in terms of human capital and natural resources, the last thing the world wants to see is the continent growing unstable.

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