Confronting Xenophobia

Xenophobia is hate like any other

Story from the Bishop Populism and

agendas Homophobia Racism Sexism Xenophobia eg. Un-

Swazi Who will protect the

minority especially the culturally different

Xenophobia, is not exclusive from racism, fascism, sexism only it is targeted a the non-voting non nationals

Often like in the bishops case it is calculated and planned with power or money as a motive.

Immigration is a Global Issue Arizona SB 1070 Obama spent over Us

$ 500 million on the Mexico US boarder

The deportation of the “Roma” from France

The encampment of millions

The “deals” with Gadaffi”

“Xenophobic violence in Italy between migrant workers and locals”

Australian elections and campaign

UK has just placed “an immigration cap”

Mexico mistreating immigrants “78 hostage immigrants assasinated”

PASSOP protest outside US consulate cape town against SB1070

Immigration in South Africa Is one of the only

countries in Africa that does not confine refugees to camps

“On paper” refugees can become citizens in a 15year period

Is the biggest destination in the world for refugees

Refugees allowed to live integrated in society

Is guilty of denial particularly before 2009

Lack of capacity Lack of provision for

forced migrants Has less than 3%

refugee status approval

The Freedom Charter

"South Africa belongs to everyone who lives in it.”

“No-one shall be imprisoned, deported or restricted without a fair trial”

“All shall be free to travel without restriction from countryside to town, from province to province, and from South Africa abroad; Pass Laws, permits and all other laws restricting these freedoms shall be abolished.”

“our country will never be prosperous or free until all our people live in brotherhood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities; that only a democratic state, based on the will of all the people, can secure to all their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief”

Adopted in 1955, and sec. 2.2 of the ANC constitution claims it wants a “country based on the principles of the Freedom Charter”

Contradictions?

In 2008 over 130000 people deported to Zimbabwe

Over 350 million rand spent in Gauteng alone on immigration policing

Xenophobic violence through out the last decade

Cape Town refugee centre early 2008- about one km from here

168 displaced in Mbekweni during the world cup final

Mbekweni world cup final

A stoned police car that night Moving to safety in a hall

“embracing” safety finally

Mbekweni continued

Sleeping in the hall

Excuses for xenophobia violence

Stealing our women

Stealing jobs Undercutting local

traders Lowering wages

and working conditions

Over population Service delivery

issues

They are a burden to the hospitals, clinics and public transport systems

Cultural threat They lack of

community interest or involvement

Crime

After the displacement of November the 17th (2009) over 2000 foreigners needed to be accommodated. This led to the creation of the first camp since to the 2008’s infamous xenophobic violence in De Doorns (an hour’s drive from here). This camp remains unclosed today, despite aggressive attempts to intimidate people out.

The creation of camps, particularly provisions of services caused great tensions as South Africans in the townships complain of a lack of support by government.

“IDP” camps

food for thought

“citizenship is a right to have rights…and a right to belong to some kind of organized community.” 

- Hannah Arendt

“It’s not a ‘migration’ policy failure, it’s a ‘poverty alleviation’ policy failure”

-Bishop Paul Verryn

Poverty, crime, the church and injustice.Steve Biko’s “ THE CHURCH THROUGH THE EYES OF A LAYMAN”

“Stern-faced ministers stand on pulpits every Sunday to heap loads of blame on black people in townships for their thieving, house-breaking, stabbing, murdering, adultery etc. No one ever attempts to relate alt these vices to poverty, unemployment, overcrowding, lack of schooling and migratory labour. No one wants to completely condone abhorrent behavior, but it frequently is necessary for us to analyse situations a little bit deeper than the surface suggests. Because the white missionary described black people as thieves, lazy, sex-hungry etc., and because he equated all that was valuable with whiteness, our Churches through our ministers see all these vices I have mentioned above not as manifestations of the cruelty and injustice which we are subjected to by the white man but inevitable proof that after all the white man was right when he described us as savages.

Thus if Christianity in its introduction was corrupted by the inclusion of aspects which made it the ideal religion for the colonization of people, nowadays in its interpretation it is the ideal religion for the maintenance of the subjugation of the same people.”

Denying them rights to protect us Deport them? Threaten them? Deny them

documents? Deny them the right

to work? Deny the the right

to health care? Build huge walls

around the boarder

Disempowerment and making people poor

Undocumented unable to work legally

Undocumented lower wages- “scab labour”

Poorest and most vulnerable population

Exploitable- using “xeno” methods to avoid payment of debts

Access to protection when underground, illegal and in hiding form police ( Musina and Mexico example)

Poverty creates desperation

Crime is a constant reminder of poverty in the absence of political hope

A country that has a wealthy minority and impoverished majority will have a high crime rate, is under an oppression and/or under the opium of religion/belief

Zimbabwe’s treatment of criminals

Zimbabwe’s treatment of minority tribes and minority groups homosexuals

A minority, maybe one with very different views (that may contradict your values) are allowed to be oppressed

The solution to migration

Lies in the places of origin

Rural to Urban migration (urbanisation)

Development Why did Obama

not invest the half billion dollars into Mexico?

Poverty alleviation Less “economic

centralisation” Political integration,

separation of religion, business and media from state

Peace and stability is only truly sustainable through equitable distribution of wealth