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Tough Luck For Immigrants In Africa As ‘Xenophobia’ Goes Regional

Tough Luck For Immigrants In Africa As ‘Xenophobia’ Goes Regional

From Mail & Guardian

It probably has never been a more inopportune time to be an immigrant in Africa than now. All around the continent countries are pushing back guests from other African nations, suggesting the integration dream has many kinks to iron out.

While the contribution of immigrants to host economies is relatively unchallenged, they are finding host countries with high unemployment rates and other social issues, for whom the solution is to look inwards first.

South Africa is the current enfant terrible for such push-backs, but it is hardly the only one; the difference being the xenophobic mob mentality that continues to leave death in its wake.

Its response to the attacks has come in for major criticism for targeting mainly foreign nationals in an ongoing crackdown, but similar responses in smaller economies such as the Republic of the Congo seem to have been missed.

Operation “Reclaim” in South Africa

South African authorities have framed the crackdown as targeting crime, but despite locals also being caught up in the dragnet, rights groups say the operation is essentially anti-foreigner, and has been cast by officialdom in an “us-against-them” language.

Operation Fiela, which the government says means “Reclaim” but which in the Sotho group of languages has a more nuanced meaning of “to sweep away” or to “remove dirt”, has been criticized for suggesting that African nationals need to be cleaned up.

The South African state is instead now accused of sponsoring xenophobia, from all quarters, including by former allies.

Read more at Mail & Guardian