Migration Politics Shifts from Cooperation to Coercion: Exploring South Africa Residence Immigrants

The study explores South Africa’s (SA’s), migration politics of cooperation which allows easy cross-border for immigrants to enter but later shifted to migration coercion practices. The study is relevant because of right-wing politicians, vigilantism groups and prominent personnel’s calls on SA’s government to deport immigrants. This study is triggered by sporadic xenophobic attacks on immigrants by locals which resulted to loss of lives and properties. Grounded in migration diplomacy of cooperation and coercion theory, the study adopts a literature review also known as a ‘meta study’ to explore SA’s residence immigrants. The study’s findings reveal that White skilled labours’ migration after apartheid due to first Black government’s uncertainty made SA’s authority relaxed visa requirements to attract skilled immigrants to contribute to economic development. Immigrants arrival was short-lived. Economic contractions resulted to high unemployment rates and service delivery declines affect the youth mostly lead to foreign policy shifts from migration cooperation to coercion; which triggers vigilantism groups formation where citizens chased away immigrants not to access public facilities. Right-wing politicians and prominent personnel’s in South Africa’s anti-immigrant sentiments were ‘bought’ by some citizens. This leads to immigrants’ accusation for ‘stealing’ jobs from indigenous. Many immigrants left the country to save their lives. Overall, the paper argues that despite SA’s apartheid legacy of poverty and inequality, it is nothing compared to Sub-Sahara Africa nations. South Africans enjoy social benefits and the economy is rated best on the continent. Xenophobic attacks on immigrants is due to hatred rather than economic issues. Because other SSA nations with ailing economy live in harmony with immigrants. The paper therefore recommends massive education to South Africans that immigrants are also human beings who deserve human rights and dignity everyone deserves irrespective of status. Right wing leaders should be educated to be circumspect about their utterances. The paper therefore recommends that future research should explore factors that drive migration cooperation shift to migration coercion.