White paper on international migration for South Africa

The White paper on international migration for South Africa "proposes that international migration must be managed proactively and strategically in order to contribute to national priorities, such as nation building and social cohesion, inclusive economic growth and national security. South Africa needs to start a conversation on the importance of international migration so that there can be consensus on its contribution to meeting broadly supported national goals. For example, the NDP prioritises the acquisition of skills, some of which must be recruited internationally, in order to achieve national priorities such as inclusive economic growth. However, South Africa has not put in place adequate policy, strategies, institutions and capacity for attracting, recruiting and retaining international migrants with the necessary skills and resources.

The current policy relies on the mechanical application of rules to manage risks, rather than the integrated intelligence -based approach that is best practice globally. South Africa has consequently invested little in the effective and secure management of international migration so that risks can be evaluated and mitigated adequately."