Title: Resolution against xenophobia in South Africa
Submitted by: Democratic Alliance (South Africa)
Noting that:
- We are outraged and saddened by growing incidents of xenophobic violence in South Africa against migrants of African origin;
- Elvis Nyathi, a Zimbabwean national, sadly lost his life after he was assaulted and set on fire by group of people in Johnannesburg’s township of Diepsloot;
- Xenophobic sentiments being shared by some political actors are fueling hate and hostility against migrants.
Believing that:
- A progressive migration policy should be framed in the language of opportunity as opposed to the language of fear. The language of fear communicates that we need to do a better job of keeping people out, while the language of opportunity is that we need to do a better of job of enabling people to enter and remain legally. This includes secure borders, as well as efficient, fair, and transparent legal channels for migration and trade.
Considering that:
- South Africa is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention which places a responsibility on National Government to protect refugees and asylum seekers.
Calls for:
- Condemnation of all forms of xenophobic prejudice, denunciation of vigilante groups and prosecution of anyone implicated in xenophobic violence.
- A migrant documentation process that is accessible, fair, and transparent to manage the proliferation of undocumented migrants.
- South Africa to ensure that irrespective of the reason for travel, rules and procedures encourage compliance by being easy to understand, fair, and transparent.
- Implementation of an advanced migration registry system to properly document all migrants when entering or leaving the country, this includes the taking of biometrics and other identification, together with the necessary alert mechanisms which are connected to both domestic and international institutions of safety and security, like the South African Police Service (SAPS), Interpol, South African Revenue Service.
- Blacklisting officials who have been found guilty of involvement in migration corruption and fraud from working for any state agency or government department as well as laying criminal charges.
- Limiting human interaction between applicants and migration officials by ensuring that the bulk, if not entirety, of any application is able to be completed online, in line with world-wide approaches and best practice.
- Agree to norms and standards with external governments to reinforce South Africa’s ability to deliver an efficient service.
