Africa-Press – South-Africa. The DA plans to introduce a private members bill in Parliament that will encourage a points-based system focused on ranking migrants based on their skills and education.
The opposition party has criticised the government for what it has described as “xenophobic” policies that blame the socio-economic conditions in the country on foreign nationals.
The party’s spokesperson on home affairs, Adrian Roos, said events witnessed in Alexandra on Monday, including violent attacks on foreigners, were proof that a blame game had been used to unfairly discriminate against foreign nationals.
He said many South Africans have become despondent due to the government’s failures to create jobs, and they blamed foreigners.
The DA said its migration policy documents offered the best solutions to migration issues in the country.
The document proposes an advanced migration system to better document migrants who enter the country.
The DA’s head of policy, Gwen Ngwenya, said an advanced online migration registry system with a three-month turnaround time would help deal with migration more swiftly.
The migration system would be online-based, limiting the opportunity for corruption involving officials. It would help keep track of people entering and leaving the country, she said.
Ngwenya added that corrupt officials should be blacklisted, prohibiting their employment at the Department of Home Affairs.
The DA also believes that asylum centres in urban areas need to remain operational in as many areas as possible and offer services over weekends to assist with the backlog.
The party also believes the introduction of trader visas or permits will allow traders from other parts of the continent to trade while in the country.
According to Ngwenya, the current language around migration is focused on migrants as the enemy when it should focus on opportunities presented by a swift and efficient migration system.
“To attract talent and skills needed, the DA would move to appoint a points-based skills migration system as opposed to a skills demand system. A points-based system is beneficial. Language spoken is focused on opportunities and skills. A third party should check the system and ensure it is highly attractive with a three-month turnaround time,” Ngwenya said.
Labour policy paper is xenophobic
DA labour spokesperson Michael Cardo described the recently released National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) and Employment Services Amendment Bill as inward-looking and draconian.
Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi has released the policy for public comment.
It aims to limit the number of foreign nationals employed in particular sectors of the economy, including tourism and agriculture.
The minister said the amendment would help deal with exploitative employers.
But the DA disagrees.
“The labour migration policy seems to depart from the wrong point that there are many jobs that need to be divided up. Limiting employment in certain sectors is a shortsighted move and won’t have an impact on South Africa’s unemployment crises,” Cardo said.
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