56 III/ The South African way of dealing with immigration: The interaction between South Africa and African migrants..p. But apart from a few peculiarities, the case of South Africa is not so special.
II/ African migrants in South Africa
Conceptualization and model of a system: Rosenau's approach
It has been used specifically in international relations to explain state behavior in the international system. Regarding systemic approaches, Rosenau applies this analytical tool to studies other than international relations.
I/ Theories of International Relations
It is because of such advantages that we will apply it to the field of immigration. It might therefore be interesting to look at its position on international relations before explaining how a system works.
The analytic advantages of the systemic approach
Subsequently, a massive debate among realists has been the question of system stability. This is because their scientific approach to International Relations provided a better understanding and a clear analytical framework.
III/ The functioning of international systems The theory of Rosenau
The Horizontal Approach
The 'Horizontal approach' consists of looking at the interaction between the different actors in the system. So we will try to explain the different types of interaction between the different actors of the system that try to influence each other. In this part it is not the intention to focus on subsystems and the organization of the actors.
Instead, we will look at the actors one by one, as units of analysis: the state, the external actor and the immigrants.
I/ The state or group of states: The major actor and its complex interaction with immigrants
The EU 15 immigrants have a poorer average qualification than immigrants in the rest of the OECD”81. F., "Immigration Policy in France and Germany: Outputs versus Outcomes", Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. This brought many benefits to the US economy, despite the defensive posture of the US.
In other words, it is in the interest of the state to act repressively against immigrants for the good of the economy and especially the agricultural sector.
II/ External Actors: Challenge to state sovereignty
In order for an NGO to work on the territory of a state, it must comply with the state's laws. If an NGO protects human rights in the field of immigration, it will try to influence the state in proportion to its power. A perfect example of this type of interaction is the recommendations that the NGO can make to the state in public reports106.
External actors try to guarantee the rights of immigrants in practice and try to influence the state to build a system consistent with human rights and human security.
III/ Migrants and their potential attempt to influence
The Vertical Approach': Organisation of actors and subsystem interactions
If the composition limits the actor in its possibilities of influence, the nature of interactions will change.
I/ The state: Policies and implementation
In the case of immigration, the interaction between immigrants and the state will depend on street-level bureaucrats. The policy that the state decides to implement can be changed by administration when it is implemented. With immigration, policies that the state wants to implement end up being modified because of the way bureaucrats carry them out.
Immigrants will primarily be in contact with street-level bureaucrats in their interactions with the state.
II/ External Actors: Organisation and Cooperation
UNHCR will attribute it depending on the definition that was created in the UN Convention of 1951. And in this situation, UNHCR and ICRC are working in cooperation, as could be the case with NGOs. 129See the case of the Hmong in Thailand, where the state does not recognize them as refugees, but the UNHCR does.
UNHCR thus needs to negotiate with the state in order for it to fulfill its role.
III/ Immigrants in a host society: organisation and integration
Those who have been in the country for a longer period will be patrons of the new arrivals. One of Rosenau's central questions was to know whether all the actors are active in the system. These interactions between different communities of the same or different types of immigrants are therefore not always activated in the system, although they can be an important advantage for the immigrants.
The integration form of interaction will necessarily be active in the system, at least to some extent, because it is a necessary immigration process even if the immigrants do not attempt to settle in the host country.
Conclusion
The South African Specificity
In a public speech on 20 June 1997, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the "famously xenophobic Home Affairs Minister",145 declared: "The question can rightly be asked: what is the future of foreign migrants in South Africa. We just cannot allow these people to stay in South Africa , especially since their presence is detrimental to the local population.South Africa has its own specificity, especially regarding its xenophobic attitude towards foreigners, especially African immigrants.
But African migration to South Africa can, like other similar cases, be studied with a systemic approach.
I/ The transition to democracy
152Van Vuuren, W., "Transition Politics and the Prospects of Democratic Consolidation in South Africa", in Politikon, vol. The recent national elections confirm that this is still the case in South Africa today. We can therefore consider that the type of elite in South Africa is Ideologically Unified at the moment, with the ANC as the dominant faction.
We can regard the current regime in South Africa as stable, but not representative of the different interests.
Therefore, asylum seekers who have the right to stay in South Africa under international and national laws must pay additional fees. But the problems with policy implementation and resource management in South Africa regarding the African migration issue are not unique to the DHA. Reports and political literature have focused heavily on immigration in South Africa as it is considered a problematic situation.
Citaat uit Human Rights Watch, “Neighbors in Need: Zimbabweans seeking shelter in South Africa”, HRW, New York, juni 2008, p.
III/ The South African way of dealing with immigration
Interaction between South Africa and African migrants
South Africa in the context of Africa and Southern Africa and its relations with external actors
Now that the South African state has re-entered the International system, it has new interactions with various actors. It would appear that the South African state is not interested in building a group of states that can deal with the migration issue. But if the state has accepted to do this, it is also because it has some interest in this influence.
I/ The attractiveness of South Africa for African migrants
The trade balance between South Africa and the rest of Africa has grown strongly since 1992213. Therefore, South Africa can be considered as an economic example to many other African countries. Migrants who come to South Africa for economic reasons believe that they will improve their standard of living and economic resources.
South Africa serves as a magnet for those seeking employment, a higher standard of living and brighter economic prospects”215.
II/ SADC and the attempt at a free movement protocol
The RGN was of the opinion that they would then have to be taken in by South Africa. But "the RGN assumed that all non-South Africans in the country (almost certainly far fewer than they claimed) were immigrants, not migrants (who saw themselves as temporary residents who would return home)"225. But "the RGN report proved to be extremely influential in the South African government's negative reaction to the Protocol"231.
The South African Movement Facilitation Protocol was prepared by the authors of the HSRC report.
III/ The influence of the external actor in South Africa
The struggle of African migrants in the system
In the immigration system, if African migrants are considered the actors most directly involved, this does not necessarily mean that they are the most active in terms of interactions and influence of other actors. There are many situations where they have to face a South African system that is not in their favor, as has been seen. But it is not only the state that poses an obstacle to integration for African migrants.
But their organization is often limited to just wanting to survive and is not enough to influence the South African state.
I/ African migrants facing the South African system and its society
While state bodies view African migrants as a threat, 48% of the South African population believes that foreigners posed a criminal threat258. Even if African migrants are involved in crime, they are probably less involved than is thought. As a poor image of African migrants is promoted in South African society, these migrants face difficulties in very different areas of their interaction with society and the legal system.
The most difficult situation African migrants in South Africa face is probably the violence they have to go through.
II/ A fortuitous assistance from the external actor
But these ambitions are also influenced by experiences at home, where the UNHCR fully supported refugees from other countries and therefore refugees expected the same level of assistance in South Africa”282. The most important type of organization is the service NGOs and their funders, mainly the UNHCR, (…) the main funder of refugee support activities”283. UN agencies and NGOs played an important role in the response to the disaster in South Africa”290.
The same newspaper noted that "the government of the Republic of South Africa (does not) provide the same (services) to the poorest of South African citizens"295.
If the African migrants want to influence the South African state and its immigration policy, their survival organizations are not enough. The lack of organization and resources is a very important limitation to the potential influence that African migrants can have on the South African state. So far, African migrants have failed to be heard and influenced by the South African state.
African migrants' opportunities to influence the South African state are few and even less often used due to a lack of resources and organization.
CONCLUSION
If South Africa considers the free movement of population to be a high risk, African migrants do not want to stay in South Africa318. But if African migrants decide not to stay in South Africa, it may be because of the backlash they receive from the country. It therefore seems natural that African migrants do not want to settle in South Africa.
Because the South African state still views African migrants as a threat, it seems that their situation will remain the same.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
I/ About Rosenau and the systemic approach
II/ About other cases of immigration and the system
Ireland P., «Demander la lune : la participation politique des immigrants dans la Communauté européenne», Revue européenne des migrations internationales, Vol. G., « Les effets des migrations internationales sur les pays d'accueil, les pays d'origine et les immigrés », Politique étrangère, Vol.
III/ About Migrations into South Africa with a field work on African migrants
Human Rights Watch, "Neighbors in Need: Zimbabweans seeking refuge in South Africa", HRW, New York, June 2008, 121p. Human Rights Watch, "Living on the Margins: Inadequate Protection for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Johannesburg", HRW, New York, November 2005 Vol. B., "The Laws of (In)Hospitality: Black Africans in South Africa", In The Promise of Freedom and Its Practice: Global Perspectives on South Africa's Decade of Democracy, Forced Migration Studies Working Paper Series, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, May 2004, 19 p.
IV/ About Migrations into South Africa, other studies
Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), A Research Review of Policies Surrounding the Issue of Free Movement of People across International Borders with Specific Reference to Southern Africa and Its Particular Effect on South Africa. C., "The Transformation of Transnationality among Mozambican Migrants in South Africa", Canadian Journal of African Studies, Vol. Peberdy S., "Imagining Immigration: Inclusive Identities and Exclusive Policies in Post-1994 South Africa", Africa Today, vol.
1, Special Issue: Transnationalism, African Immigration and New Migrant Spaces in South Africa, Canadian African Studies Association, 2000, p.