Turning Back the Tide: Illegal Immigration into South Africa

The number of international migrants worldwide, including refugees, asylum seekers, and clandestine migrants, is estimated at 120 million. In addition, it is believed that a further two million join this figure each year. Thus, one in every 114 people is displaced in the world today.¹ The form of migration often capturing news headlines is that from developing countries into the developed world. Western European policy makers and citizens are concerned that with the inclusion of former Eastern bloc states in the European Union there will be a westward migration as citizens of these states seek greener pastures. In Washington, there is disquiet over Haitian and Cuban boat people as well as the ever-porous borders with Mexico. In Japan, the key concerns revolve around the illegal influx of people from Southeast Asia.

One tends to ignore the fact that the Third World is not homogenous, that some states are more developed than others. As such, the more developed states in the Third World experience many of the same problems that their First World counterparts experience. In this context, South Africa confronts a crisis. Despite uneven economic development resulting in soaring unemployment rates, the South African economy contributes almost three-quarters of the gross national product of southern Africa (consisting of fourteen states). The average South African earns thirty-six times more than the average Mozambican. The situation in other neighboring countries is not much better. In Tanzania poverty afflicts 59 percent of the population, while in Zambia 84 percent of the population live below the poverty line. The size of the South African economy makes the allure of the country almost overwhelming to many in the region.²

Since the demise of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has been confronted with a tide of humanity fleeing from countries north of the Limpopo River, which are confronting poverty, civil war, environmental catastrophe, or political mismanagement. Taking advantage of this situation, organized crime syndicates have seized on the opportunity to engage in human trafficking, arms running, and drug trafficking. Currently there are an estimated 285 organized crime syndicates operating in South Africa and an estimated 2.1 million to 4.1 million immigrants residing illegally in the country. Given the illegal nature of this form of migration, accurate figures are difficult to come by. However the estimate of 4.1 million is extrapolated from those who entered the country legally but who overstayed the validity of their visas and those who have been forcibly repatriated as well as from information provided by the alien investigation units of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the various field offices of the Department of Home Affairs.³ Independent research conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa has resulted in a similar figure.⁴ As a result, the Pretoria government, like its European and American counterparts faces enormous challenges in dealing with the threat posed. However, unlike their northern counterparts the South African government often lacks the resources to confront the challenges posed by clandestine migration. In this article I attempt to examine the threat posed by illegal immigration into South Africa and suggest some policy options available to the Pretoria government.

Contemplating the Impact of Illegal Immigration on South Africa

The impact of illegal immigration on South Africa is as enormous as it is grave. According to recent studies the majority of illegal immigrants in South Africa do not have more than three years of formal education and no work skills outside those of subsistence agriculture.⁵ These illegal immigrants often compete with low-skilled South Africans in the job market. Such analysis finds support in a study conducted by the National Labour and Economic Development Institute (NALEDI), a think tank for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, which documented the presence of illegal foreign workers in agriculture, hospitality (hotels and restaurants), construction, the domestic sector, and informal trading.⁶ In addition, the NALEDI study revealed...