DA calls on Home Affairs to work with Metros to address root causes of Xenophobia

Issued by Adrian Roos MP – DA Member on the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs
16 Oct 2019 in News

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, to take decisive action to address the issues which have resulted in the ongoing sit-ins at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices in Tshwane and Cape Town.

Foreign nationals gathered outside the UNHCR in Waterkloof on Monday, raised concerns around the time it takes for them to get propor documentation to live and work in South Africa legally. The longer they are without documentation, the more suspectable and vulnerable they become to violent threats and exploitation. The sheer scale and gravity of this problem has resulted in documented refugees, asylum seekers and legal migrants being seen the same as illegal migrants.

Home Affairs is making it difficult for business people and scarce skills to enter the country whilst illegal immigrants cross the border uncontrolled. These inefficiencies have resulted in the UNHCR and Metros being expected to do Home Affairs’ job despite limited mandates.

It is clear that Home Affairs alone does not have the capacity to deal with the pressing challenges of securing our borders, managing illegal migration and promoting social cohesion to begin to address the scourge of xenophobia. This requires a co-ordinated, co-operative approach between government agencies to holistically address the challenge.

Undocumented immigrants gravitate to the Metros where they have the best chance of opportunities – City of Tshwane, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Since 2016, Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has written to a succession of Home Affairs Ministers requesting assistance with the increase of illegal immigration in the City and warning of looming tensions as a result of undocumented traders that was not being addressed by the Department.

It is imperative that the responsibilities of Metros, SAPS and Home Affairs are clearly set out through a proactive approach and that Home Affairs enters in to Memorandums of Understanding with these Metros setting out proactive joint operations to deal with the regularisation of undocumented immigrants and illicit trade to stop incidents flaring up before they start.

In September the DA Members of Parliament called for a Joint meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to address initiatives to promote social cohesion, manage illegal migration and prevent xenophobia in our Metros.

This committee will be meeting 22 October and the DA is pleased that Mayor Mashaba will finally have the opportunity to engage with the Portfolio Committee and the Department. A decisive, proactive plan of action will help build confidence in our communities that the rule of law is being re-established, easing tensions. Both the rights of migrants and the rights of South Africans deserve to be protected.