Based in Johannesburg, the Forced Migration Studies Programme (FMSP) is an internationally engaged; Africa-oriented and Africa-based centre of excellence for research and teaching that helps shape global discourse on migration; aid and social transformation.

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Features

Migrant Mobilisation: Structure and Strategies in Claiming Rights in South Africa and Nairobi

This report documents individual and collective mobilisation for migrants’ rights in South Africa and Nairobi and contains six sections. After a short introduction, section two reviews the literature on migrant mobilisation. Access to resources, social networks and political opportunities all play a key role in migrant mobilisation.

Violence, Labour and the Displacement of Zimbabweans in De Doorns, Western Cape

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From 14-17 November 2009, De Doorns, a farming area in Breede Valley Municipality, Western Cape Province, was the scene of violence that resulted in the forceful displacement of an estimated 3000 Zimbabweans and the destruction and looting of their dwellings by their South African neighbours.

Zimbabwean Migration into Southern Africa: New Trends and Responses

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The economic and political collapse of Zimbabwe has generated unprecedented outward migration to Southern African countries. Even as stability gradually returns in Zimbabwe, the humanitarian crises facing its diaspora and the potential for further waves of migration remain high.

One Burden Too Many? A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Immigration Policing in Gauteng

South African policing stands at a critical juncture. The police have negotiated more than a decade of democratic change. Still, there is growing uncertainty about whether the South African Police Service (SAPS) remains capable of meeting the challenges of building an open democratic society.

For Better Implementation of Migrant Children’s Rights in South Africa

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This report outlines the situation facing children who migrate across international borders to South Africa. The report begins by outlining the policy framework that should guide migrant children’s access to rights in South Africa. This section points to a well developed legal and policy framework for securing the rights of migrant children regardless of their documentation.

Towards Tolerance, Law and Dignity: Addressing Violence against Foreign Nationals in South Africa

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Although violence against foreign nationals and other ‘outsiders’ has been a long-standing feature of post-Apartheid South Africa, the intensity and scale of the May 2008 attacks were extraordinary. What started off as an isolated incidence of anti-foreigner violence in Alexandra on 11 May, quickly spread to other townships and informal settlements across the country. After two weeks and the deployment of the Army, the violence subsided. In its wake, 62 people, including 21 South Africans, were dead; at least 670 wounded; dozens of women raped; and at least 100 000 persons displaced and property worth of millions of Rand looted, destroyed or seized by local residents and leaders.

National Survey of the Refugee Reception and Status Determination System in South Africa

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This report summarises data that was gathered over a period of eight months at five of South Africa’s permanent refugee reception offices (Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Port Elizabeth), as well as the satellite offices in Johannesburg and Durban that were set up as part of the Backlog Project.1 The data focuses on 1) asylum seeker experiences in accessing the reception offices and lodging their asylum claims, 2) their interactions inside the reception offices, and 3) the difficulties they experience as a result of the problems with access and service delivery. Applicants were asked a series of questions in the following areas:

News

3 March 2010

Police Commissioners Irresponsibly Inflate Numbers; Blame Foreigners for Security Woes

14 December 2009

The Forced Migration Studies Programme announces the release of its newest Migration Policy Brief:

Violence, Labour and the Displacement of Zimbabweans in De Doorns, Western Cape

The Migration Policy Brief series is a resource for practitioners and intends to facilitate informed discussion on current issues in relation to migration in Southern Africa.

30 November 2009

The exodus of Zimbabweans into neighbouring countries is one of the greatest challenges and opportunities for the region, yet Southern African countries are struggling to respond appropriately.

6 August 2009

The FMSP is no longer accepting applications for the 2010 academic year.

View the information booklet
How to apply - General information
Postgrad application form

 

19 March 2009

The Forced Migration Studies Programme (FMSP) at the University of Witwatersrand held a closed door roundtable discussion with the Department of Home Affairs officials on Friday 13 March 2009. The discussion centered around recommendations contained in a newly released FMSP study assessing refugee policy and service delivery at the country’s five permanent refugee reception offices. The report, titled “National Survey of the Refugee Reception and Status Determination System in South Africa,” calls for revisions in the Department’s Turnaround Strategy.