South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has addressed the nation to announce a raft of new measures to crack down on illegal migration as tensions rise over anti-foreigner marches and frustrations about high unemployment.
These steps include jailing employers who hire undocumented workers, setting up dedicated courts to speed up deportations of undocumented migrants, and creating a register with biometric data “for every person in the country” to stamp out identity theft.
However, he also warned South Africans not to take the law into their own hands.
Over the last few weeks, several African nations have been organising the evacuation of some of their nationals as fears of violence grow.
Anti-migrant groups are demanding that undocumented migrants leave the country and have set 30 June as the deadline.
Last weekend, several hundred African migrants fled their homes in the Overberg region of South Africa’s Western Cape Province after reports of door-to-door intimidation, as well as the deaths of two Mozambicans in Mossel Bay.
Many sought shelter in community halls, on the beach, or in nearby mountains. Some have opted to return home, and this weekend another group of around 140 people boarded buses to Malawi and Mozambique.
In Durban, foreigners have been camping outside the city’s Home Affairs Department for several weeks, saying they fear for their lives.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that illegal migration was putting unfair pressure on South Africa’s public services and said the issue needed to be addressed by his government.
He set out a five-point strategy to do so by:
• Cracking down on immigration law violators
• Strengthening border security
• Stamping out corruption within the immigration system
• Closing loopholes in immigration laws
• Working with other African countries to tackle the problem
However, he warned against vigilantism.
“I must make it clear that only authorised government officials may act against violations of the law, including violations of our immigration laws.
“No other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street to demand proof of nationality.”
Some analysts have suggested that the resurgence of anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa could be linked to local elections scheduled for November.
The president said authorities would not allow groups to use legitimate concerns “to destabilise” the country by inciting violence.
“We will act against forces that are exploiting the concerns of our people about illegal immigration to further their own political, personal, or criminal agendas,” he said, cautioning against social media campaigns that spread misinformation and lies about foreign nationals.
He also told South Africans there was “no space for xenophobia, racism, sexism, Afrophobia, or any other forms of intolerance in South Africa”.
“Our country, like many others throughout history, is a product of migration. It is the reason for our diversity and contributes to our vibrancy,” he said.
South Africa is home to more than three million foreigners, about 5% of the population, according to official figures, though many more are believed to be living in the country without documentation.
During his 30-minute speech, the president pointed to the scale of the problem and how “illegal migration routes increasingly overlap with organised crime”.
“In the past year alone, the Border Management Authority managed to intercept and stop over 450,000 people who were attempting to enter South Africa illegally,” he said.
Ramaphosa explained how unscrupulous employers pay undocumented migrants well below the minimum wage and “merely” pay a fine if caught.
Plans have been launched to hire 10,000 inspectors to crack down on such businesses, and those found guilty will face tougher penalties, “including imprisonment”, he said.
Illegal migration is also often enabled by corruption, the president acknowledged, explaining that some officials sell documents illegally.
Authorities will discontinue green ID books, “which have enabled identity theft by undocumented immigrants and criminal syndicates”, with the president adding that this is part of plans to introduce a digital ID system for everyone in the future.
Another imminent change announced was the relocation of refugee reception centres to border posts.
Ramaphosa also referred to the anger expressed by many communities over the number of foreign nationals running small grocery stores in townships, commonly known as spaza shops.
These businesses have often been targeted during waves of xenophobic violence that have erupted in South Africa over the last few decades.
Ramaphosa said efforts would be made to ensure that all informal shops are properly registered by the Small Business Development Department.
Quotas will also be set for the “employment of foreign nationals in any economic sector or occupational category”, he said.
South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, at around 33%, mainly affecting young people.
Ramaphosa said he would be sending envoys to other African countries to outline these new measures, adding that peace and economic growth elsewhere were important factors.
He ended on a positive note, saying he hoped the changes would help build a “secure, lawful, compassionate, and prosperous” country.
“South Africa has overcome far greater challenges than this. We have overcome division. We have overcome conflict. We have overcome injustice. We will overcome this challenge too.”
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