Dr Zaheera Jinnah: Researcher at the African Centre for Migration and Society(ACMS), University of the Witwatersrand, started off her presentation by giving an overview of the new immigration laws and their implications. She unpacked the underlying principles of the Green Paper. In doing so she put emphasis on the fact that, whichever way it was viewed, there was a co-existent tension between state security and development in as far as migration policy in SA is concerned.

1. The Green Paper on International Migration
17 August 2016
Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg
New directions to old destinations?:
unpacking recent trends and policy
developments on cross border
labour migration to South Africa
Zaheera Jinnah
African Centre for Migration & Society. www.migration.org.za

2. A)Context:
1) Control

3. Context: 2. Mixed migration
Non nationals by occupation 2012: QLFS

4. Context

5. B) Green paper : June 2016
• Underlying principles
• Evidence
• Managed migration

6. 1) Underlying principles
security development
AND/OR

7. 2. Evidence
• Smugglers, traffickers
terrorists
• Costs of provisions
(asylum detention
centres)
• Integration policy:
Social security for
refugees p71; basic
services

8. 3. Managing migration
Two provisions: skilled and general
• Progressive on the one hand
Long- term visa (family oriented) (p44)
Strategic use of visa and permitting to retain
international students post-graduation (p44)
• But… Administrative challenges would remain
and major gap: skilled refugees

9. 3. Managing migration
SADC economic migrants
• Recognition of historical and contemporary
realities
• Recognition of policy shortcomings and its impact
• Introduction of strategic initiatives (SDP) but no
mention of their limitations
• 3 policy options:
– On what basis will the options be evaluated?
– How do they link to already existing mechanisms?

10. 3. Managing migration: where to from
here?
Regional policies
• SADC LM policy
framework
Clear principles and
institutional structures
Inter-ministerial and broad
based partnerships
• needs effort and
leadership

11. Zaheera.jinnah@wits.ac.za
African Centre for Migration & Society. www.migration.org.za