Article by Kotie Geldenhuys
Photo courtesy of Freepik
Not every foreign national in South Africa is illegal. Many have arrived legally, seeking refuge from difficult circumstances in their home countries and hoping to build better lives. Others have been transferred to South Africa by their employers. While some foreigners become involved in criminal activities, countless others are victims of crime, particularly xenophobic violence and discrimination.
South Africa’s refugee policy is often lauded internationally as progressive and inclusive. In 2019, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, described the country’s system as one of the most advanced globally, at least in theory. However, this reputation is increasingly challenged by domestic realities of inefficiency, corruption and increased xenophobia.
Various researchers argue that systemic failures have created fertile ground for anti-immigrant sentiment, despite a robust legal framework. Research conducted by Kaziboni, Lancaster, Machabaphala, and Mulaudzi (2022), highlights how poor implementation and systemic flaws contribute not only to administrative chaos but also to a hostile environment for immigrants, including asylum seekers, refugees, economic migrants, students, permanent residents and undocumented foreign-born individuals and their children.
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[This is only an extract of an article published in Servamus: August 2025. This article is available for purchase.]