MANAGING ECONOMIC MIGRATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

The document examines the tension in South Africa between the desire to attract skilled migrants and the drive to deter irregular, semi-skilled migration. It critiques the 2016 Green Paper on International Migration for proposing regressive asylum policies, such as processing centres, while noting positive steps toward regional SADC integration and the retention of foreign graduates. The authors highlight systemic bottlenecks, including poor inter-departmental coordination and the negative impact of the Licensing of Small Businesses Bill on migrant entrepreneurs, and argue that xenophobia is exacerbated by government discourse linking irregular migration to national security.

• South Africa's migration approach is characterized by a dichotomy where the government welcomes 'desirable' skilled migrants but views irregular, semi-skilled, or unskilled migration as a national security threat to be discouraged.
• The 2016 Green Paper on International Migration introduces regressive proposals for asylum seekers, including the creation of 'asylum seeker processing centres' and the removal of automatic rights to work and study during application processing.
• Despite high deportation rates, which the authors describe as costly and ineffective deterrents, South Africa continues to host large numbers of migrants, with an estimated 1 to 2 million undocumented persons in the country.
• The Licensing of Small Businesses Bill is criticized for potentially criminalizing informal trade and hindering the self-sufficiency of economic migrants by requiring onerous licensing and imposing severe penalties for non-compliance.
• There is a significant mismatch in the 'critical skills' visa regime; the skills-shortage list is not updated annually as required by the Department of Higher Education, and it focuses on professionals while excluding necessary technicians and teachers.
• Xenophobic violence is fueled by perceptions that migrants steal jobs, despite data showing migrants account for only 4% of the working population and often employ South African citizens.
• South Africa's migration policies are poorly coordinated across government departments, with the Department of Home Affairs' security-focused approach sometimes conflicting with the Department of Trade and Industry's goal of creating a business-friendly environment.
• The document identifies a 'brain drain' where professional South Africans emigrate at a rate eight times higher than the number of professionals immigrating to the country between 1989 and 2003.
• The Green Paper suggests a shift toward a points-based system and easier pathways for foreign graduates of South African universities to remain in the country, which the authors view as positive steps to retain talent.
• Regional integration within SADC is hindered by member states' unwillingness to cede sovereignty, leaving the 2005 Draft Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons unenforceable due to a lack of ratifications.

APA

PARSHOTAM, A., & NCUBE, C. (2017). MANAGING ECONOMIC MIGRATION IN SOUTH AFRICA. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Occasional-Paper-265.pdf

Chicago

PARSHOTAM, ASMITA, and CHARISMA NCUBE. MANAGING ECONOMIC MIGRATION IN SOUTH AFRICA. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Occasional-Paper-265.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=PARSHOTAM |first1=ASMITA |last2=NCUBE |first2=CHARISMA |title=MANAGING ECONOMIC MIGRATION IN SOUTH AFRICA |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=September 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Occasional-Paper-265.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parshotam2017managing, author = {PARSHOTAM, ASMITA and NCUBE, CHARISMA}, title = {{MANAGING ECONOMIC MIGRATION IN SOUTH AFRICA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Occasional-Paper-265.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }