Disability, Migration, and Family Support: The Case of Zimbabwean Asylum Seekers in South Africa

2018 ◽  
pp. 359-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willson Tarusarira ◽  
Judith McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Asylum Seekers

COVID-19, migration and inclusive cities through e-governance: strategies to manage asylum seekers in Durban, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Kariuki ◽  
Maria Lauda Goyayi ◽  
Lizzy Oluwatoyin Ofusori
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Public Services ◽  
City Government ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governance Strategies ◽  
The Government ◽  
The City

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of electronic governance (e-governance) in enabling asylum seekers’ access to public services in the city of Durban, South Africa. Because of COVID-19, the government scaled down its operations, limiting access to public services, including among migrants. Design/methodology/approach Because of COVID-19-related restrictions, a systematic review was conducted of the relevant academic literature as well as the information portals of relevant government departments, municipalities and research reports on migration and refugees in South Africa. A total of 320 peer-reviewed research articles were identified. These were filtered and 68 relevant articles were selected. Findings The study found that asylum seekers have limited access to public services via information communication technology-enabled mechanisms. Whilst the city government has embraced e-governance, it is still in its nascent stages. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to a desktop one because of COVID-19 restrictions and it focused exclusively on asylum seekers. Therefore, its findings can only be generalised to this category of people. Practical implications Future studies on this subject should gather data from all categories of migrants to gain in-depth perspectives. Social implications All spheres of governance in South Africa should recognise asylum seekers as a constituency that deserves access to public services. E-governance can facilitate easier access to these services, and policies need to be aligned with this reality. Originality/value This study examined the efficacy of e-governance in enabling access to government services by asylum seekers during COVID-19. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study on this subject was conducted during this period.

scholarly journals Tragic and Heroic Moments in the Lives of Forced Migrants: Memories of Political Asylum-Seekers in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Refuge ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest A. Pineteh ◽  
Thecla N. Mulu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Political Asylum ◽  
Discursive Space ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Forced Migrants ◽  
Personal Accounts ◽  
At Home

This article examines the memories of a group of Cameroonian asylum-seekers in South Africa, analyzing personal accounts of memories of fear, suffering, and pain as well as resilience and heroism during their forced migration. The article argues that the legitimacy of applications for asylum often depends on accurate and consistent memories of specific life-threatening episodes at home and during migration. Drawing on theoretical conceptions such as construction of memory, autobiographical memory, and politics of storytelling, this article teases out how personal memories of asylum-seekers provide a discursive space to access and understand the asymmetries of seeking political asylum in post-apartheid South Africa.

The Politics of Boundaries: The Shifting Terrain of Belonging for Zimbabweans in a South African Border Zone

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blair Rutherford
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Farm Workers ◽  
Border Zone ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Subjectivity ◽  
Border Town ◽  
Commercial Farms

Abstract This paper examines Zimbabwean immigrants in northern South Africa and the ways through which they are able to claim, or not, some form of belonging. Drawing on the concept of “political subjectivity”, I trace the changes in the power relations shaping the forms of belonging operating on the commercial farms and the border town of Musina since 2000 and the concomitant shifts in some of the Zimbabweans’ tactics in these spaces. In particular, I look at the political subjectivities of “Zimbabwean farm workers” and “Zimbabwean woman asylum-seekers”. This analysis shows what particular imaginaries have become authoritative for differently situated Zimbabwean immigrants and denizens in this region, enabling particular claims for resources, accommodation, and belonging.

‘It's about being safe and free to be who you are’: Exploring the lived experiences of queer migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa

Sexualities ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 86-110
Author(s):  
John Marnell ◽  
Elsa Oliveira ◽  
Gabriel Hoosain Khan
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Gay And Lesbian ◽  
Arts Based Research ◽  
Sex Worker ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
Participatory Arts

This article presents findings from three arts-based studies conducted by the African Centre for Migration and Society, in partnerships with Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action and the Sisonke National Sex Worker Movement. Drawing on participant-created visual and narrative artefacts, the article offers insights into the complex ways in which queer migrants, refugees and asylum seekers living in South Africa negotiate their identities, resist oppression and confront stereotypes. It reveals the dynamic ways in which queer migrants, refugees and asylum seekers forge a sense of belonging in spite of concurrent vulnerabilities and structural discrimination. It also reflects on the benefits and limitations of using participatory arts-based research with marginalised groups.

Imagining Zimbabwe as home: ethnicity, violence and migration

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 616-639
Author(s):  
Duduzile S. Ndlovu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
National Identity ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Political Events ◽  
Migration Narratives ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Over Time

Abstract:Migration debates tend to focus on the numbers of people moving, whether they are economic migrants or asylum seekers, deserving or not of protection. This categorization usually rests on national identity, necessitating simplified one-dimensional representations. Ndlovu uses a case study of Zimbabwean migrants memorializing Gukurahundi in Johannesburg to highlight the ways in which migration narratives can be more complex and how they may shift over time. She presents Gukurahundi and the formation of the MDC in Zimbabwe, along with xenophobic violence in South Africa, as examples of the ways that the meanings of national and ethnic identities are contested by the migrants and influenced by political events across time and space.

scholarly journals Interpretation Consistent with International Law? The Detention of Asylum Seekers in South Africa

Refuge ◽  
2002 ◽  
pp. 6-11
Author(s):  
Jaya Ramji
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
International Law ◽  
South African ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
International Standards ◽  
African Government ◽  
Human Rights Standards ◽  
And Training

On paper, South African law concerning detention of asylum seekers appears consistent with international standards. However, the text of the Act is vague and overly broad, permitting interpretations inconsistent with international human rights standards. Further, in practice, officials often fail to uphold even the lowest standards of the Act, in violation of South African law. In order to protect the rights of asylum seekers, the South African government should institute formal guidelines and training programs, as well as a system of strong supervision and accountability, to ensure that the Act and Regulations are interpreted in a manner consistent with international law. Such a step will enable South Africa to live up to its noble post-apartheid human rights ideals.

scholarly journals Migration, Refugees, and Racism in South Africa

Refuge ◽  
2001 ◽  
pp. 40-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Handmaker ◽  
Jennifer Parsley
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
General Public ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
And Control ◽  
Social Separation ◽  
The Impact

The paper looks at South Africa’s complex history and policies of racism, social separation and control and the impact that this has had on the nature of migration and refugee policy. The paper argues that this legacy has resulted in policy and implementation that is highly racialized, coupled with a society expressing growing levels of xenophobia. Some causes and manifestations of xenophobia in South Africa are explored. It further examines how actions of police and civil servants can mirror the sentiments of the general public, further disadvantaging refugees and migrants. The outcomes of the WCAR are discussed with acknowledgment of the positive gains made for refugees and asylum seekers. The implications for implementation are debated in light of the attacks on the USA. In conclusion, a number of recommendations are made including the need for ongoing public awareness strategies, the value of the WCAR Declarations as lobbying tools, a pragmatic and democratic policy process and the need to highlight development concerns in approaches to address these issues.

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