The shadowy world of forced migrants

South Africa has a huge forced migrants population with not enough being done to ensure they have access to services; and they are permanently exposed to the dangers of xenophobia with women particularly at risk, according to a recent study by the NGO Women’s Refugee Commission based on focused research in Johannesburg.

From the executive summary of their report it transpires that Johannesburg, is home to more than 450,000 forced migrants, including 51,300 legally recognised refugees, 417,700 asylum seekers and others in refugee-like circumstances.

A combination of high immigration and high unemployment means many forced migrants face xenophobia daily, resulting in discrimination, exploitation and abuse, often at the hands of the police and government. Women are particularly at risk of sexual harassment and violence every time they sell goods on the street or in flea markets, go to work or take public transport. Denied access to proper employment, informal outdoor selling is the main occupation of urban forced migrants.

As part of a year-long study on urban refugee livelihoods, the Women’s Refugee Commission undertook a field assessment project in Johannesburg in March/April 2011.

It focused on refugees‘ economic coping strategies, associated protection risks and potential market opportunities and involved four urban communitie -- Somalis and Congolese in the inner city and Zimbabweans and South Africans in Alexander township. In addition, primary data from the University of the Witwatersrand formed part of this research.

Key findings

South Africa is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, and the Constitution guarantees basic human and socioeconomic rights to all who live in the co.untry, regardless of citizenship. In practice, the government does little to guarantee access to services, and government organs tend to mete out harsh treatment to migrants in efforts to reduce the inflow.

Forced migrants compared to South Africans are more likely to be vulnerable to poverty and violence. Those living in the townships, relative to those in the inner city, are more likely to be unemployed, live in poor housing conditions, have minimal access to services and be more vulnerable to violence.

New arrivals are at a disadvantage compared to forced migrants who have lived in Johannesburg longer. Minority ethnic groups may be excluded from resources enjoyed by larger, dominant ethnic groups.

Women are commonly targets of sexual violence, which limits their capacity to engage in income generation activities. Women are more likely to be dependent on a spouse, friends or NGOs. They are less likely to earn income than men.

Despite this, many forced migrants have demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit to solve problems, innovate and adapt. Some 75% are economically active, and many are engaged in multiple, simultaneous livelihood strategies, such as petty trading, casual labour or self-employment.

Education levels and skill sets vary among the different forced migrant groups. Many Zimbabwean migrants have good English language skills and education, but most are found in unskilled labour -- in service industries, construction, painting, welding and carpentry.

Forced migrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) appear to be predominantly young, urban, male and educated. Many, even those with specialised skills, work in unskilled or low-skilled jobs, street vending, braiding hair or washing or guarding cars.

Somali asylum seekers and forced migrants are predominately young and urban; most have completed primary or secondary school, and several own businesses.

Key recommendations

Recommendations, with supporting narrative detail, are incorporated into the body of the report. In summary they are:

1.Create safe, legal channels for economic migration to alleviate stress on the asylum-processing system and establish a coherent set of policies for forced migrants with legitimate claims. This includes reorienting the Department of Home Affairs toward a client-centred model that protects the rights of migrants and adheres to the international treaties to which South Africa is a signatory;

2.Capitalise on the high level of education and professional skills among the forced migrant population by creating a database to identify what skills are needed for expanding industries and forced migrant candidates with those skills;

3.Mitigate gender-based violence by including protection strategies into livelihood programmes. Programmes should work with women, men, girls and boys to identify the specific types of GBV that occur when they earn income or access services, the specific risk factor for each type of GBV, and possible protection strategies to mitigate risk;

4.Strengthen advocacy.The UN High Commission for Refugees should develop an advocacy strategy in coordination with stakeholders;

5.Connect forced migrants to services, either in the formal or informal sectors, that target their skills and level of economic vulnerability. Very poor and poor households should receive material support for immediate needs and longer-term investments in financial literacy and skills building;

6.Average and above average households require opportunities for small business growth. Enterprise development packages should include licensing support, accounting and marketing training and making market linkages. All wealth groups need access to savings and micro-insurance products, which help to manage risk and reduce reliance on harmful coping strategies;

7.Strengthen partnerships by linking with national service providers to include forced migrants in their programmes. Strengthen collaboration and networking across all levels of civil society, and between CSOs and government agencies potentially using the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA) to play a convening role;

8.Build the capacity of CSOs to be more transparent and inclusive through monitoring, reporting, financial management, complaints resolution and mainstreaming gender. Facilitate dialogue and build trust between forced migrants and South Africans NGOs to combat xenophobia; and

9.Address the unequal distribution of unpaid work for women by providing women with a system of day care facilities.

(The full report can be downloaded at http://womensrefugeecommission.org/ )

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