South Africa is pushing to deport more undocumented migrants who compete with citizens for jobs in an economy with one of the highest unemployment rates globally, the minister overseeing the programme said.
The nation “is a neglected part of the global migration story,” with the contestation between foreigners and locals for positions becoming “a real tinderbox,” Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said in an interview on Bloomberg Television Friday.
“We’ve deported 51 000 people in the last year — that’s more than France and Germany combined. If we had more resources, we’d be doing more of that.”
South Africa has the continent’s most industrialised economy and sees a constant influx of job seekers from neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe and Mozambique. But with the unemployment rate running at 33.2%, tensions between locals and foreigners run high. About 8.4-million people are eligible to work yet don’t have jobs.
In 2008, about 60 people died and 50 000 were displaced
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
