Seeking asylum: a case of Zimbabwean asylum seekers in Rosettenville, Johannesburg
Date
2011-07-06
Authors
Sibanda, Sehlaphi
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Abstract
This research was encouraged by the recent developments in migration patterns in the world.
Though immigration is not new to South Africa, with people migrating to the country from as
early as the 1600s, there has been a notable increase post – 1994 at the fall of apartheid. The
profile of migrants has also changed considerably to include refugees, asylum seekers and
other forced migrants (Landau 2007; Jacobsen 2006). It is the emergence of a new group of
immigrants in the form of asylum seekers and their relationship with the state, economy and
society which makes for interesting analysis.
This thesis argues that the continual framing of migration as a security issue, in relation to
crime and unemployment overlooks the positive brain gain for the recipient countries
(Mawadza 2007). Framing forced migration in this manner disregards the important question
of why people migrate and what service they (can) provide to their countries of asylum and in
the process violates their rights.
Description
MA, Dissertation in Development Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011
Keywords
political asylum, Zimbabwean refugees, Rosettenville, Johannesburg