Regulating Migration

Irregular Migration has been one of the main areas of activities of the regional office in South Africa. Addressing irregular migration in southern Africa requires an approach that combines different perspectives and countries, considering the particular situation of countries like Zimbabwe where migration push factors are depleting the country of its workforce in critical areas like health and education; South Africa where pull factors are met with the xenophobic reaction of local communities; and, Mozambique where irregular migration from the Horn of Africa is posing a challenge to a government faced with many other priority areas of development.

IOM has over the years remained engaged with governments to seek adequate responses to these individual challenges. With this project, IOM will maximize the impact of each activity, under the overall goal of addressing the consequences of irregular migration in a region where labour mobility dates from early 1940 and yet, frameworks to regularize the labour demand/supply or address push/pull factors are yet to emerge in a coordinated and coherent way.

IOM is addressing these urgent needs related to migration mobility in the region through a wide range of activities aimed at creating mechanisms and synergies, addressing gaps, and developing coherent and sustainable approaches. IOM does so by enhancing the regional dialogue through MIDSA; by building the capacity of governments through training of officials from relevant departments; by providing communities in South Africa with tools to create harmony and peace by creating a network of social mediators; by carrying out cultural diversity training for various stakeholders; and by assisting those migrants who have become vulnerable as a result of their migratory journey, with particular attention to the extreme vulnerability caused by xenophobic violence. This is similar to how legal gambling works in South Africa as listed in this legal South African gambling sites.

In partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), IOM is implementing a project aimed at supporting the Government of South Africa to strengthen communities of diversities and peace. The project seeks to address the problem of migrants' rights, strengthening the capacity and capability of the South Africa Government, in particular of provinces and municipalities in managing urbanisation, immigration and reintegration of foreign nationals. IOM will:

• Provide support to the South Africa migration policy whereby South Africa provinces and municipalities will be trained/enabled to better manage migration issues
• Provide strengthened conflict resolution and mediation capacities with focus on migrants and improved capacity of provinces and municipalities to better manage migrants
• Improve the inter-governmental/interdepartmental and inter-agency coordination

Building and Strengthening Communities of Diversity and Peace. Through this project, IOM will provide strengthened conflict resolution and mediation capacities with focus on migrants and host communities and improved capacity of municipalities to better manage migrants.  The project aims to increase understanding/tolerance and reduce tension and negative perceptions between locals and foreign migrants through the provision of educational workshops, information campaigns and sports and cultural events.

Projects

• Southern Africa-Addressing Irregular Migration Flows to South Africa
• Support to the South African Government to strengthen communities of diversities and peace
• Building and Strengthening Communities of Diversity and Peace

Donors

• US Department of State – Bureau of Population, Refugees & Migration (PRM)
• European Union through the United Nations Development Programme
• Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)