April 18, 2007
By Emily van Rijswijck
"MIGRANTS contribute to the cultural diversity of and assist to create our vibrant city; we must recognise diversity as an urban strength."
This is the word of Executive Mayor Amos Masondo, who was speaking at the official opening of the City's Migrant Helpdesk, on Tuesday, 17 April. "Like urbanisation, it seems migration can and should be managed. It cannot be completely controlled, let alone halted."
Sending a clear message of support and commitment to the welfare of foreign residents, Masondo said that rapid urbanisation and concomitant migration had become a part of the Johannesburg landscape and should be dealt with appropriately.
Situated in downtown Johannesburg, the Migrant Helpdesk has been running since November 2006, with over 200 migrants already making use of the facility.
Information
Its primary task is the provision of information regarding basic services available to legal migrants and asylum seekers. This includes information on housing, education and healthcare. The helpdesk also puts migrants in touch with relevant non-governmental organisations and other support organisations furthering their cause.
It aims to provide additional services through partnerships with relevant stakeholders such as the Refugee Children's Project, Jesuit Refugee Without Voice, Bienvenue Shelter, Lawyers for Human Rights, South African Migration Project, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Wits University Law Faculty (Refugee Desk) and Black Sash.
"The City of Johannesburg is adopting a progressive approach with regards to ensuring that migrants to this city feel that they are part of an inclusive city," Masondo said. Indeed, Johannesburg was the only city in South Africa that had such a proactive and overtly supportive attitude to its migrants.
On the occasion of the opening of the City's migrant helpdesk
(Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)
"We cannot be a world-class African city if we do not accommodate all people - a city where community development, personal growth and social mobility is enhanced," confirmed the member of the mayoral committee for community development, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza.
Access to services depends on documentation verifying a person's status as a migrant or an asylum seeker. Nori Tapiwa, the co-ordinator of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Forum, said the most pressing issues for asylum seekers were usually shelter, food and documentation when they entered the country.
Xenophobia
In time, para-legal advice will form a core part of the service as it is anticipated that many migrants will look for help regarding violation of human rights and harassment. Xenophobia has been a major concern for the City, with research showing that migrants are far more likely to be victims of crime and are more likely to be treated with disdain and distrust.
Joyce Tlou, the national co-ordinator for non-nationals at the South African Human Rights Commission, said that the focus should move away from stereotypes. "What is lacking is showing the visible contribution that migrants make to the city."
Research done by the Forced Migration Studies Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand confirms that foreign nationals contribute substantially to Joburg's economy. The entrepreneurial spirit of African migrants provided much-needed employment to locals, according to Professor Loren Landau, the programme's director.
"Our research shows that they [migrants] are better educated and are far more entrepreneurial than their South African counterparts."
Landau felt that the challenge for the city lay in the number of migrants who streamed here from other areas of the country, many of whom had never worked before and did not have the necessary skills.
The City identified the need to integrate migrants into Jozi's social fabric in 2004 as part of its strategy for social cohesion and human development. Since the mayoral inner city road show in 2006, Masondo has met various migrant groups and stakeholders to deal with their concerns in a tangible way. This has led to the helpdesk.
Mayathula-Khoza cautioned that the helpdesk should not be seen as an additional immigration facility, as queries related to immigration must be dealt with through the proper channels. The City had limited scope in terms of what it could provide, focusing on basic services and assisting with alternative options if standard avenues proved to be unavailable.
The helpdesk should not be seen as promoting and servicing illegal migrants to the detriment of Joburg's own residents. However, illegal immigrants would be dealt with in a humane and proper manner if they sought assistance, Masondo promised.
For more information regarding the Migrant Helpdesk, contact Wandile Zwane, the director of human development on 011 407 6473, or visit the helpdesk at CJ Cronje Building, 80 Loveday Street, Braamfontein. It is next to Region F's People's Centre.
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