As published on BusinessLive on 22 July 2024
Estimations and inflated reports on the number of illegal foreigners plaguing South Africa, its borders and economy, have been widespread for decades and often driven by political agendas and mostly uninformed.
In 1998 already, according to Human Rights Watch reporting on the rise of xenophobia within the South African landscape: “…some politicians in South Africa are exploiting the issue of undocumented migration for their own political gain, increasing levels of xenophobia by making unfounded and explosive statements about the cost of undocumented migration and its effects on various social services and crime. The mainstream debate around illegal immigration in South Africa, focusing on the economic impact and the impact on crime of undocumented migration, has been alarmist and ill-informed”.
The most recent xenophobic attacks on social media directed to the newly appointed Minister of Home Affairs following his first act as a Minister to extend the concessions made in light of the persisting backlog for legal foreigners with pending delayed applications, are a glaring example of how things have remained unchanged and how social media misinformation campaigns and agendas can thrive in modern times with considerable power.
The coalition Minister, Dr Schreiber, swiftly after the social media strike and to restore the public opinion balance, publicly commended SAPS on the arrest of undocumented foreigners in Paarl. According to SAPS’ statement, a trailer attached to a bus was found to contain undocumented women and children and one of the passengers attempted to bribe the SAPS official who instead “honoured his mandate and executed an arrest on charges of prevention and combatting of corrupt activities, an offense in terms of the Immigration Act and prevention and combatting of trafficking in persons”. Given the minor scale of this incident, one can only wonder if its newsworthiness relates to the non-venality of the SAPS official rather than to a success story in the country’s fight against illegal immigration.
Back in 1997, the then Minister of Home Affairs Buthelezi’s estimation was that the number of illegal foreigners in South Africa was “between 2.5 and 5 million”. In practical terms, the narrative was that less than 10% of the estimated population of the time, were responsible for the rising crime in South Africa. This storyline and the absence of any evidence to support it, have found fertile ground to grow year after year across a population flogged by lack of fundamental service provision and has exacerbated over the years.
In early 2024 Dr Motsoaledi in full political campaign, whilst still acting Minister of Home Affairs, vowed repeatedly to remove illegal immigrants and getting rid of what he referred to as “crocodiles”. Dr Motsoaledi further clarified that his primary target [the crocodiles] were “respectable people who enter the country legally wearing suits or high heels carrying briefcases full of cash to bribe officials to legalise their stay in the country. We have reason to believe that crocodiles are found all over the country in very high positions.”
On 17 April 2024, coinciding with the publication of the Final White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, Dr Motsoaledi also stated that “ No one can account for all undocumented migrants. The DHA has no idea as to how many illegal immigrants are in South Africa.” This admission alone undermining the border protection driven immigration policies and credo he and his predecessors have actively promoted. The establishment of the Border Management Agency his solution to reduce the risk of illegal migration through South African porous borders.
The common thread over the years remain alarmingly vague numbers, ineffective solutions and bribes.
Understanding the real numbers of illegal immigrants is only the tip of the iceberg for a country struggling to come to terms with its own census. As recently as in October 2023, the South African census set the record for the highest undercount (31%) among those countries where the undercount is measured and reported by the United Nations Population Division. Although Statistics South Africa has refuted these claims to be unfounded and misleading, it remains evident that an undercount of any extent defeats the whole purpose of collecting census data which is crucially aimed towards planning investment and allocating resources within a country’s public and private sector equally.
Whether undocumented and illegal foreigners are effectively, or just perceivably, responsible for the crime rate rise, it should be in everyone’s best interest to have an accurate census of illegal immigrants allowing for their biometrics to be captured, their addresses to be included in reliable databases, their ties, contribution or lack thereof to South Africa verified and considered rather than running dangerous witch hunts that may only lead to bribes and fraud or, even worse, human rights violations. Inconsistent applications of our law and selective enforcement are not the answer. Arresting and deporting crocodiles, men, women and children alike should demand for a more human right driven and considered approach.
A well-co-ordinated and well informed amnesty with specific objectives and lawful process is the only effective solution to avoid the ongoing internal and external onslaught.
By Claudia Pizzocri | CEO at Eisenberg & Associates Inc.