SA Migration International

News Articles

South Africa: Minister Malusi Gigaba - Launch of Cooperation Programme

Source: All Africa, 27/09/2016

It is the view of the Department of Home Affairs that if managed
effectively, international migration is a largely positive phenomenon,
which can contribute to the development of our country and benefit our
people as well as both the immigrants and their countries of
origin.

This belief in the economic and social benefits of international
migration informs the new draft policy on international migration
currently out for public comment until September 30th.

Of course, we must acknowledge that international migration does come
with significant challenges and risks.

The reality is that in as much as we, albeit for totally different
reasons, have also begun to recognise the positive benefits of
international migration, criminals do too, for their own iniquitous
reasons, recognise that they can today more easier than before conduct
their criminal enterprise on a massive and international scale.

High among these is the twin scourge of human trafficking and people
smuggling.

Human trafficking and smuggling of migrants too often leads to injury
and death in transit, exploitation, sexual abuse, forced marriage and
even slavery.

These are amongst the most heinous and despicable of crimes, with
devastating impact on victims, which blight our collective consciences
as humanity.

In addition to the immense human cost, they undermine our legal and
social fabric through their association with organised crime, and
attempts to evade, corrupt and undermine our law enforcement, criminal
justice, immigration systems and social welfare systems.

Heartless transnational criminal elements seek to profit from people's
yearning for employment, safety and a better life; and, at the same
time, pounce on vulnerable people, especially women and children, by
exploiting weak legal frameworks and under-resourced immigration and
criminal justice systems in some countries.

They have sought to take advantage of law enforcement regimes which
were too weak and slow to adapt to this growing form of organised
crime.

They also seek to take advantage of gaps in international law
enforcement coordination and cooperation, especially within regions
which lack adequate personnel and financial resources to combat this
scourge.

Yet another disconcerting fact is that there are countries that do not
seem to consider these crimes to be urgent, especially when they
involve the trafficking of women and children.

There are instances when powerful and well-resourced interests,
because their own children and women are not as vulnerable as those of
the poor and working classes, disparage these risks and whenever they
are raised, they ask the question, "what is the rate of child and / or
women trafficking?", as if to suggest that one person smuggled and /
or trafficked is an acceptable figure.

Real people get dehumanised and converted into rates and ratios,
figures and statistics.

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