Immigration in South Africa   Term Paper ID:44763 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Describes effect of illegal immigration and poverty on South Africa in years after end ...... More...

5 Pages / 1125 Words 10 sources, 18 Citations, APA Format $20.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Describes effect of illegal immigration and poverty on South Africa in years after end of apartheid. Argues that this problem places enormous strain on government and resources. Paper Introduction: South Africa Rampant Poverty and Impact of Immigration When considering South Africa and attempting to identify a specificproblem confronting the country a researcher is likely to becomeoverwhelmed by the sheer volume of identifiable problems in this still-troubled nation Having finally emerged from the abyss of apartheid described by Shillington as a prolonged period in which Blacks andother people of color were subjected to White political economic andsocial domination the country still must address multiple inequities thatplace a number of groups at a Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. But emigration is increasing and immigration is restricted bypolicy and a range of socioeconomic factors" (Stern & Szalontai, 2 6,p.123). Political scientist Michael Sodaro (2 4) characterized the "newSouth Africa" as a country in which mineral wealth, lingering antagonismsdue to the apartheid system, rising urban crime rates, political divisionsand tribal conflicts, a growing HIV/AIDS pandemic, an influx of immigrantsfrom neighboring African countries, and a position in a regioncharacterized by ongoing conflict and violence are dominant cultural,political, and economic influences. This Actstates, in essence, that illegal immigration is actively discouraged, thatimmigrant status is granted largely to skilled or professional individualsseeking to make a permanent commitment to the country (as opposed to atemporary residence as a guest worker), and that illegal aliens will berequired to leave the country if discovered. Farmers who have an ongoing demand for cheap labor have beenidentified by Deborah Johnston (2 7) as key sources of employment forillegals as well as a small number of legal immigrants. Having finally emerged from the abyss of apartheid,described by Shillington (2 5) as a prolonged period in which Blacks andother "people of color" were subjected to White political, economic andsocial domination, the country still must address multiple inequities thatplace a number of groups at a distinct disadvantage. Nevertheless, the perceptionthat immigrants from Zimbabwe and other countries are competing for scarcejobs and are adding to the crime rate, fuels antipathy towards theimmigrants. Development Southern Africa, 23 (3), 123-145. Indeed, Shillington(2 5) stated that after the end of apartheid, and despite efforts bysuccessive non-Africaaner governments under Nelson Mandella and ThaboMbeko, progress has been desperately slow and class and economic divisionsremain significant. Historically, there have beenwide fluctuations in the trend of documented immigration to South Africawith peaks occurring in tandem with conflict elsewhere on the Africancontinent. This is occurring at a time when some three million refugees fromZimbabwe moved to South Africa in search of freedom from persecution intheir home country. The opposition Democratic Alliance in South Africa wantsrefugee camps for immigrants, but the government disagrees, stating thatthe vast majority of Zimbabweans are economic migrants and are not refugeesand therefore are not entitled to such treatment (No Welcome, No Let-Up,2 7). Though seemingly harsh, theImmigration Act is based upon the government's recognition of the need forensuring that native-born South Africans, many of whom are unskilled orsemi-skilled, are able to find and retain gainful employment (South AfricanConsulate in New York City, 2 7). Accessed online, December 2, 2 7.Shades of Black. Thus, the basic immigration policy ofSouth African can best be characterized as protectionist in nature. Many of these illegal migrants are vulnerable to abuseby employers and by the police. Immigration in particular is seen as a challenge for the country(Johnston, 2 7). (2 6). In 2 2, an increase of 35 percent over the previousyear was recorded, with 6,545 legal immigrants granted entry. Accessed December. History of Africa. Available at www.southafricainfo/pls/procs/iac.page. Though the problem is most prominent in rural areas, thousands ofillegal immigrants are also working in urban areas in menial service sectorpositions that the government sees as inherently detrimental to theinterests of its own largely unskilled population (Johnston, 2 7).Immigration is therefore a multifaceted problem for South Africa which isstill regarded as a developing country with multiple unresolved conflictsbetween its different ethnic groups (Sodaro, 2 4). Immigration policy in South Africa: Does it make economic sense? (2 7). A South African case study. (2 5). The government's policy was also discussed by another article in TheEconomist (No Welcome, No Let-Up, 2 7) which noted that the fate ofillegal immigrants in South Africa is not pleasant. 2, 2 9Stern, M., & Szalontai, G. (2 6). Available at www .southafrica.net/homeaffairs. (2 7). Though it has become in relativelyshort order "a model of interracial reconciliation and a powerhouse in sub-Saharan Africa, with the largest economy and military force, it isincreasingly being called upon to assume a leadership role in world affairs(Sodaro, 2 5, p. Available at www.nationmaster.com/country/sf-south-africa -immigration. 1 ) commented that the country can receive only a limited numberof immigrants and has "a vast reserve of unskilled and semi-skilled workerswhoa re entitled to employment opportunities and to an economically viablelifestyle; therefore foreigners in the unskilled and semi-skilledcategories cannot be accepted as immigrant workers." This is the official policy of the government, which seeks tocontrol immigrant flow through the Immigration Act of 2 2. South Africa: Rampant Poverty and Impact of Immigration When considering South Africa and attempting to identify a specificproblem confronting the country, a researcher is likely to becomeoverwhelmed by the sheer volume of identifiable problems in this still-troubled nation. (2 6). South Africa appeals to other Africans seeking work becauseof its relative stability when compared to other African countries; it alsoappeals in that since the end of apartheid, people of color (including bothBlacks and Indians) have been able to prosper and experience economicadvancement as well as increased involvement in the political process(Johnston, 2 7). Despite this, however, thousands of applicants are granted immigrantstatus every year. The Economist, 9 September,38 , 48-49.Johnston, D. (2 7). Who needs immigrant farm workers? Efforts to contain illegal immigration have been frustrated bythe relative ease of entry into the country and by the fact that privatesector employers seeking workers are willing to accept illegals (Johnston,2 7). The Economist, 11 October, 384, 37-38.Rainbow Immigration. Most immigrants inSouth Africa find jobs on farms with minimum monthly salaries of about US$142. Boston: McGraw Hill.South African Consulate in New York City. Though South Africa welcomes professionals such as teachers fromneighboring African countries such as Zimbabwe, it definitively rejects theunskilled and semi-skilled immigrants who illegally enter the country.These immigrants are victims of human rights abuses, including often brutaltreatment at the hands of the police, indefinite internment beforedeportation, and violence from employers. Immigrant labor inSouth African agriculture is quite important because many South Africans,since the end of apartheid have chosen to migrate internally from the ruralcountryside to the cities in search of industrial work or work in theservice sector. (2 4). Accessed online, December 2, 2 7.No Welcome, No Let-Up. 713). However, the South African Consulate in New York City(2 7, p. ReferencesShades of Black. Permanent residence inSouth Africa. New York: PlagraveMacmillan.Sodaro, M.J. Africa: South Africa: Immigration." 2 7. Historically, "the country attracted more skilledworkers than it lost, from Europe and, more recently, other Africancountries. The Economist, 9 September,38 , 48-49.Shillington, K. (2 4). Further exacerbating the problem, according to The Economist (Shadesof Black, 2 6), is the fact that the African National Congress (ANC)politicians in the government are focusing on developing black economicempowerment programs that are creating costly distortions rather than newjobs and lining the pockets of a small elite of well-connected bankers andlawyers. A study of the South Africa's immigration policy by Matthew Stern andGabor Szalontai (2 6) revealed that the country is actually facing askills shortage because of the supply of skilled workers coming out of thecountry's education system is inadequate to meet the demand of employersand because several thousand skilled South African workers leave thecountry each year. In 2 3, atotal of 1 ,5 applicants were accepted (an increase of 39 percent over2 2), and by August 2 4 the country had granted over 8,5 applicantsofficial status (Rainbow Immigration, 2 4). Comparative Politics. It is estimated that about 2.36 percent of the totalpopulation consists of immigrants - or about 1.1 million people (NationMaster, 2 7). Journal of Agrarian Change, 7 (1 ), 494-525.Nation Master. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.