They warned against over-simplifying the links between water and
migration, and said many of those who do move - at least partly
because of water-related pressures such as floods, droughts and
pollution - may not travel far.
“International migration is very expensive and very risky and it
lies beyond the reach of many of the poorest people who are most
vulnerable to water security and drought,” said Guy Jobbins of the
London-based Overseas Development Institute.
Those who suffer water-related shocks to their livelihoods -
losing animals or crops - “are less likely to have the funds to
start again in South Africa or France”, he told an audience at
World Water Week in Stockholm.
Conversely, there was some evidence to suggest that people who
have better access to secure, affordable water are more likely to
have enough financial resources to migrate, he added.
Although much is made of international migration, most movement
related to water is inside countries, often from one rural place
to another, said Sasha Koo-Oshima, deputy director of land and
water at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
Three out of four of the world’s poor live in rural areas and rely
heavily on agricultural production, with food insecurity, water
contamination and drought forcing people from their homes -
especially the young, she added.
Efforts should be stepped up to prevent water scarcity and make it
profitable for young people to stay on rural land, she said.
But if people do leave, “it is not necessarily a negative
phenomenon”, as humans have always moved in search of a better
life, she added.
REFUGEE SCAPEGOATS
Researchers also called for a more sophisticated analysis of how
mass migration impacts on water supplies.
In Jordan - the world’s second most

water-scarce country,
according to Hussam Hussein, a Middle East water researcher at
Germany’s University of Kassel - a large influx of refugees from
Syria, after civil war broke out there in 2011, led to tensions
with their host communities, especially in cities.
Jordan hosts about 750,000 Syrians, the vast majority in urban
areas, according to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR). But contrary
to public discourse, their presence is not the main cause of the
country’s water shortages, said Hussein.
“When we look at the numbers, the impact of refugees is not as
important as unsustainable use (of water) in the agricultural
sector,” he said.
Mismanagement of water resources, leaks, illegal wells and
intensive farming made up the majority of water losses in parched
Jordan, he added.
In war-torn Syria, water scarcity and climate-related events such
as drought had been a “trigger” for the conflict but not a primary
cause, said Fatine Ezbakhe of the Mediterranean Youth for Water
Network.
Instead a lack of water amplified political instability and
poverty that fueled migration and unrest, she added.
Now improvements to water supplies could be used to persuade
people to return home, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“If we actually invest in water, we could... try to make people go
back and restart (in) the rural areas they left in the first
place,” she said.
Reporting by Adela Suliman; editing by Megan Rowling. Please
credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of
Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change,
women`s and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking and property rights.
www.sami.co.za V.2959

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
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-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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