While a political solution is necessary for the long-term stability of the
country, it is unlikely that negotiations will reverse the current migratory
trends. Regional governments must begin to de-link a political solution
inside Zimbabwe from the need to address the domestic consequences of
Zimbabwean migration, including strains on social services, xenophobia, and
the growth of an undocumented underclass that is in need of humanitarian
assistance.
1. Get Beyond the Refugees or Economic Migrants Debate
There is contentious debate over the reasons that Zimbabweans are leaving
their home country. Estimates of the number of Zimbabweans living in
neighboring countries range widely, from 1.1 to over 3 million, and on a
recent assessment mission in the region Refugees International found that
people were continuing to leave the country in large numbers. While the
governments of host countries and many in the United Nations consider the
current migration to be economic in nature, a wide range of civil society
groups are calling for Zimbabweans to be recognized as refugees. Clearly,
not all Zimbabweans have a fear of persecution. RI found, however, that
economic and political grounds for leaving are not mutually exclusive.The
attempt to categorize the outflow ultimately obstructs the humanitarian
response by focusing on why people do (or do not) qualify for aid.
What is clear is that Zimbabwe currently suffers from a near complete lack
of basic goods – food, petrol, soap, paraffin – and that Zimbabweans outside
their country are actively engaged in providing those goods to family
members back home. Host countries, in particular South Africa and Botswana,
should work towards creating new legal frameworks that acknowledge the
nature of Zimbabwean migration and provide adequate protection and
assistance to those in need. This new legal framework must be brought about
in dialogue with civil society groups and the UN. Furthermore, it should
acknowledge regional dynamics to ensure no single country shoulders the
burden of the response.
2. Deportations Must Cease
South Africa and Botswana are actively deporting undocumented migrants,
largely targeting Zimbabweans. The majority of Zimbabweans in both countries
are residing illegally, after “jumping” the borders or overstaying their
visas. Over 150,000 have been forcibly removed from South Africa in the
first nine months of this year, while 60,000 have been deported from
Botswana as of December of last year. Upon arrival in Zimbabwe, the
deportees are released into the custody of the police, raising serious
protection concerns. Furthermore, large numbers of deportees regularly
re-cross the borders illegally immediately after deportation, where they are
subject to dangerous environmental conditions and often fall prey to
criminal gangs. Lastly, deportations are very costly for host governments
and do not achieve the goal of deterring undocumented migration.
3. Humanitarian Needs are Growing
While many Zimbabweans are able to maintain middle-class lives abroad, a
growing number of people cannot find work to provide adequate shelter or
nutrition. Zimbabweans often live in shared apartments, where 20 people or
more sleep in shifts. Other, less fortunate Zimbabweans are sleeping in the
streets, at bus stations, in makeshift shelters, in half-built homes at
construction sites, or in churches that act as shelters. Among this class of
Zimbabweans, most people Refugees International talked to reported eating
only once a day, or even less often if they could not find work. This
situation is compounded by the need of Zimbabweans to support families at
home. Many reported sending more than 50% of their earnings home, and
surviving on the bare minimum that remains. As one woman told us, “If I eat,
then my children will not.” Humanitarian assistance needs to be provided to
these Zimbabweans who insist on maintaining their ability to send
remittances home.
As more Zimbabweans arrive in neighboring countries, the need for emergency
shelter, feeding, medical attention, and other services will only continue
to grow. Already there has been a rapid growth in church-based shelters
throughout South Africa responding to the lack of housing. International
agencies that are operational in southern Africa should explore ways to
integrate Zimbabweans into existing programs, and evaluate the possibility
of providing new services to them. This need is particularly acute in
Botswana, where few operational humanitarian organizations are present.
The United Nations and bilateral donor programs should focus on expanding
the capacity of government hospitals and other public services to meet the
needs of Zimbabweans. Operational programs of non-governmental organizations
should look to provide new services for Zimbabweans and vulnerable members
of the host community. The current scope of need is manageable if agencies
begin to respond in the near-term. However, if programming does not move
quickly, the continued increase of Zimbabwean migration in the region could
swell to unmanageable proportions over the course of the coming year.
4. A New Approach
Contingency planning currently underway by the United Nations does not
reflect the reality of present-day Zimbabwe. Though all plans are
confidential, conversations with UN officials indicate that current planning
is based on a scenario involving “massive influx” of Zimbabweans into
neighboring countries over a short period of time. Such a response would
entail setting up traditional refugee camps and providing humanitarian
assistance in that context. As one official described to us, such a plan
would be triggered by “hundreds of thousands of people crossing the border
in a few weeks.” Rather than planning for such a scenario, the United
Nations must begin to base its contingency planning on the continued, steady
flow of Zimbabweans out of their home country, exactly what is happening at
present. The current trend promises hundreds of thousands of people crossing
borders and blending into the ranks of the urban poor in the upcoming
months, a scenario that requires equal attention, planning and response.
Lastly, the United Nations system must make firm decisions about leadership
and coordination regarding Zimbabweans in the region. Currently, there is
little or no effective leadership on this issue among agencies, largely
because they claim that their mandate does not allow for more work with this
population. A lead agency must be appointed, with regional responsibility
for coordination activities, contingency/strategic planning, and relations
with host governments. Operational agencies that RI met with are asking for
formal coordination and information sharing as they look to address
Zimbabweans in their work plans, and it is an appropriate and important role
for the UN to play.
Policy Recommendations
1. Host governments immediately cease all deportation of Zimbabweans.
2. Host governments develop a new legal framework, in consultation with
civil society organizations and the United Nations, to provide Zimbabweans
facilitated entry and ensure reasonable protection.
3. International agencies integrate Zimbabweans into existing assistance
programs in South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia, and/or explore expansion of
regional programming to include Zimbabweans, especially in Botswana.
4. The United Nations rework its contingency planning to reflect the true
nature of flows out of Zimbabwe. It must develop the means to coordinate the
provision of humanitarian assistance.
Advocates Sean Garcia and Patrick Duplat just returned from a one-month
assessment of the situation for Zimbabweans in the southern Africa region.
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