South Africa has been down this road before. An alien who is not a permanent resident in South Africa may be admitted to the country only if he or she is issued a valid visa. UNDESA is suggesting the number of immigrants in South Africa has doubled between 2010 and 2017. This number is likely to have grown a bit since 2016, but nowhere near 4 million. Most South Africans have at least one thing in common: their hatred of other Africans coming from the rest of the continent. BBC wrote that there are between two and five million immigrants in the country. There is no good reason to think they reflect a million people still in the country who have not already been counted.” A recent report on migration in South Africa by the World Bank confirms that asylum seekers and refugees are “covered by the population census as any other international migrant.”. The total net migration rate is increasing by 2.5 percent. The President said South Africa was built on the labour of not just South Africans, but migrants from India, from China, and from the entire Southern African region. of immigrants and the already stretched public resources While South Africa has had its share of the health personnel brain drain, many South Africans returned back at the time of global financial In 2019, regionally, Europe hosts the largest number of international migrants (82 million), followed by Northern America (59 million) and Northern Africa and Western Asia (49 million). It is highly unlikely that South Africa, with no war raging next door, has doubled the immigrant population since the last time statistics were collected in 2011. Foreigners are blamed for almost every social ill and problem in South Africa. This can fuel xenophobia and may lead to violence. According to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) and the Department of Home Affairs 73,352 foreign nationals (down from 109,000 in 2013) were granted residency status in South Africa in 2014. The Archives of the Colonial Office records held in the Cape Town Archives are a rich source is tracing your ancestors first steps into the Country. Facts & Stats South Africa. (The data in this analysis predates executive action on immigration in early 2017.) In an article about xenophobic attacks on foreigners published in 2015, the New York Times claimed South Africa was home to five million immigrants. South Africa is struggling to define a post-apartheid migration policy that is responsive to its changing role in Africa, the relationship between migration and development, and the country's rampant xenophobia, seen most graphically in May 2008. With the national polls slated for 2019, anti-immigrant and xenophobic rhetoric and hate-mongering are on the increase as the electioneering heats up. South Africa has various classes of visa. Data collated by the World Bank and the United Nations also implied a migrant population of about 1.86-million folks. “One study”, it said, estimated that more than 520,000 South Africans emigrated from 1989 to 2003 – and the number was growing at 9% a year. There is no question that South Africa remains an attractive destination for immigrants, primarily from the region and the African continent, and that there has been a significant influx of migrants and asylum seekers over the past few years. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) measures the number of people living in the country in its censuses every 10 years. Another country that has seen a massive increase of refugees between 2011-2017 is Turkey. Major immigration law changes to hit South Africa hard: expert A basic calculation, using the Stats SA’s own publicly available up-to-date figures, shows that this is wrong. The IOM report estimates that 196,142 South Africans have moved to Australia, the largest destinations for South Africans leaving the country. Instead of looking at the facts and having to explain their own failures to improve the lives of millions of South Africans who remain trapped in extreme poverty, the politicians keep reverting to the anti-immigrant rhetoric. South Africa is a popular expat destination and the latest statistics show that just over 3% of … In the 2018 report on migration for structural transformation in Africa, the UN’s Conference on Trade and Development presents a breakdown of the immigrant population in South Africa in 2017. Source: Migration Policy Institute Source: Migration Policy Institute Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security UNDESA’s claim that the number of immigrants from outside Africa grew more than three times in a few years is not supported by any evidence. Many of them come temporarily, 46.5% of immigrants … Other regions accounting for significant shares were Europe and Canada (13.5 percent), the Caribbean (9.6 percent), Central America (7.9 percent), South America (6.7 percent), the Middle East (4 percent) and sub-Saharan Africa (3.9 percent). Across the continent, South Africa is seen as a beacon for economic opportunity. Can African states offer new approaches to refugee asylum? Violence against immigrants has created a diplomatic crisis. In terms of population density, that equated to 41.4 people living in every square kilometer of land (107.2 per square mile) and the country’s sparseness was highlighted by the fact that it was only the 169 th biggest in the world for density alone. The total net migration rate is increasing by 2.5 percent. According to official statistics, South Africa is home to about 268,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and the DR Congo. The number of immigrants living in South Africa has been hotly contested for many years. In 2019, there were 4.2 million international migrants in South Africa. The South African 2011 Census found that there were 2.2 million immigrants in a country of 52 million in 2011. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. If we add a million people who are estimated by Stats SA to have immigrated between 2011-2016, minus about 400,000 foreigners deported from the country by the Department of Home Affairs during the same time period, we get about 2.8 million immigrants in South Africa in 2016. Another discrepancy in the UNDESA 2017 estimate is the origin of immigrants in South Africa. South Africa is a nation bordered by impoverished neighbors. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. By region of birth, immigrants from Asia combined accounted for 28% of all immigrants, close to the share of immigrants from Mexico (25%). Whatever the actual immigration number, it easily outstrips emigration from South Africa. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. South Africa Area and Population Density. This constitutes about 7.2% of the entire population, and out of this group around 2 million are women. Overall, more than 2 million immigrants have come from the 51 countries that comprise sub-Saharan Africa, making up 84 percent of the 2.4 million immigrants from the entire African continent. Backlinks from other websites and blogs are the lifeblood of our site and are our primary source of new traffic. According to Statistics South Africa 's 2011 census, 6.2 million foreigners live in South Africa, [2] and the organisation's 2015 estimate places the number of undocumented migrants between 1 200 000 and 1 500 000 undocumented migrants. 1850-1890 Passengers arriving in South African Ports- by the The Genealogical Society of South Africa Immigration records in South Africa are not as difficult to find as one would think. Landau said that adding more than a million asylum seekers on top of the 2.2 million immigrants counted in the 2011 Census is nothing but bogus. The 2011 census reported that more than 75% of foreign-born (international) migrants living in South Africa came from the African continent. African migrants from SADC countries contributed the vast majority of this, making up 68% of total international migrants. “We are a diverse multi-cultural society that draws on the rich experiences and capabilities of people from across the continent and across the world. How many immigrants live in South Africa? This ranks South Africa as the 9th best; There are 195,000 in … Thus, the 2011 Census figure of 2.2 million foreign-born people in South Africa is supposed to include both documented and undocumented foreigners. The World Health Organization has reported that the Republic of South Africa has over 1,400,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, it is highly questionable that the number of immigrants has doubled since 2011. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) estimates the mid-year population 2020 at 59,62 million in South Africa. Downtown Johannesburg. The World Health Organization has reported that the Republic of South Africa has over 1,400,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 1850-1890 Passengers arriving in South African Ports- by the The Genealogical Society of South Africa When asked to explain the 2017 estimates, UNDESA pointed out that they added 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers hosted in the country in 2016 to the 2011 Census figure of 2.2 million foreign-born individuals living in South Africa. Achille Mbembe writes about Xenophobic South Africa, Belonging—Why South Africans Refuse to let Africa in. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. The leaders of South Africa and Nigeria have spoken out against the attacks and the violence. This constitutes about 7.2% of the entire population, and out of this group around 2 million are women. South Africa is a popular expat destination and the latest statistics show that just over 3% of the country's population are foreigners. The South African 2011 Census found that there were 2.2 million immigrants in a country of 52 million in 2011. If you use our chart images on your site or blog, we ask that you provide attribution via a link back to this page. Africa Check examined the above-mentioned claim referenced by UNDESA that South Africa was a host to 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2016 and found that the figure was “based on a flawed reading of the available data” and incorrect. The majority of immigrants received temporary residence permits (94%) as only 4,136 permanent residence permits (6%) were approved and granted in 2014 (compared to 6,801 in 2013). Estimates that have been published vary widely. FACTSHEET: How many international migrants ... - Africa Check Never mind that the research shows that immigrants do not steal jobs from South Africans, or that foreigners are not responsible for high levels of crime. Please check your download folder. South … Alexander Joe Figures from South Africa’s 2011 Census suggest that 3.3% — or about 1.7-million — of the country’s 51.7-million population are “non-South African” citizens. In South Africa, where xenophobia is rife and violence against foreigners has taken many lives over the years—”such exaggerations are extremely dangerous, since they give credence to the belief that South Africa is overrun by foreigners who are stealing local jobs and putting a strain on services,” as Liesl Louw-Vaudran from the Institute for Security Studies wrote in 2015. But the dangerous, irresponsible and unsubstantiated estimates and guesswork are back. PRETORIA - Just over two-thirds of people granted permanent residence permits in South Africa last year were from other African countries, according to a Statistics … The survey results demonstrate the ugly reality of violent anti-immigrant hate crime in South Africa. South Africa has various classes of visa. Ethiopia and Uganda have seen similar dramatic increases in the same period due to a large movement of refugees from South Sudan and other conflict-ridden countries in the region. How Immigrants Contribute to South Africa’s Economy, p103 According to the Stats SA report, 10.7% of period immigrants (immigrants that have moved in the last five years) have their own businesses. In South Africa two provinces – Gauteng and Western Cape – stand out among the full complement of nine – as the most attractive destinations for labour migrants. Although this is an important and dangerous type of … The leaders of South Africa and Nigeria have spoken out against the attacks and the violence. It then quoted statistics on emigration. “One study”, it said, estimated that more than 520,000 South Africans emigrated from 1989 to 2003 – and … 4 real facts about emigration in South Africa [8] Business Tech, 5 November 2018. Africa is often seen as a continent of mass displacement and migration caused by poverty and violent conflict. Image credit Kim Davies via Flickr. Despite its possible shortcomings, imprecision and methodological challenges, the country’s 2011 Census and the follow-up population estimates remain the only sources of credible data about the South African population, including the number of immigrants in the country. We have provided a few examples below that you can copy and paste to your site: Your image export is now complete. Wild and unsubstantiated figures have no place in national or international documents or media reports. Major immigration law changes to hit South Africa hard: expert [9] Stats SA, Documented Immigrants in SA (2012 – 2015) [10] Business Tech, 5 November 2018. South Africa Area and Population Density. Major immigration law changes to hit South Africa hard: expert [9] Stats SA, Documented Immigrants in SA (2012 – 2015) [10] Business Tech, 5 November 2018. Given the widely acknowledged volatility of issues related to migration, it comes as a surprise that the new United Nations statistics seem to be founded on bad statistical methods and sloppy analysis. He added that “those are the number of applicants over a decade. If you use our datasets on your site or blog, we ask that you provide attribution via a link back to this page. The UN and South Africa's Statistics Service are exaggerating immigrant numbers and playing with people's lives in South Africa. For your immigration to South Africa, whether you move to South Africa or come for a visit, you must have a valid visa or residency permit when entering the country. The current police to population ratio is approximately 1:308 (SAPS – April 2011). Data collated by the World Bank and the United Nations also implied a migrant population of about 1.86-million folks. Immigrants come despite xenophobia – and create jobs. At the 2001 Census, the final declared total for resident citizens in South Africa was 44,819,778. An alien who is not a permanent resident in South Africa may be admitted to the country only if he or she is issued a valid visa. [3] Statistics from the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics confirm this point. Foreign residents in South Africa can apply for various permit categories and temporary or permanent residency permits. South Africa is struggling to define a post-apartheid migration policy that is responsive to its changing role in Africa, the relationship between migration and development, and the country's rampant xenophobia, seen most graphically in May 2008. Again, this makes sense in light of the ongoing war in neighboring Syria which has forced millions of people to leave their homes. The Archives of the Colonial Office records held in the Cape Town Archives are a rich source is tracing your ancestors first steps into the Country. The rate of female immigration has been expanding since post-colonialism. South Africa is the number one destination for African migrants, according to figures from the United Nations (UN) which Landau cited. The most present age groups among both male and female migrants range from 25-34 and 35-44. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data. Other figures, such as the ones used by the international media in 2015, are grossly exaggerated and not supported by any credible research or data. The IOM report estimates that 196,142 South Africans have moved to Australia, the largest destinations for South Africans leaving the country. The number of immigrants living in South Africa has been hotly contested for many years. Even more troubling is the fact that Stats SA does not seem to trust its own hard work, estimates and figures about international migration. Findings from the 2018 OECD-ILO study ‘How Immigrants Contribute to South Africa’s Economy’ and the Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) report ‘Labour market outcomes 2012 and 2017 of migrant populations in South Africa’ are combined in the remainder of this brief. According to the 2011 Census, 75% of immigrants in South Africa are from the African continent, with the remaining immigrant population from outside Africa estimated to be about 520,000. Only 6.5% of period internal migrants have their own businesses, while the proportion for locals is even lower. Since then, the country has seen other smaller outbreaks of xenophobic violence. These remain the only official and credible numbers. In terms of population density, that equated to 41.4 people living in every square kilometer of land (107.2 per square mile) and the country’s sparseness was highlighted by the fact that it was only the 169 th biggest in the world for … According to the Migration Data Portal run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in 2017, South Africa was home to four million immigrants. Around 51,1% (approximately 30,5 million) of the population is female, while 5,43 million people are aged 60 and over. SA’s population is the 27th largest in the world (there are 230 countries, only 80 have a population in excess of 10 million). The majority of African migrants move between countries on the continent. 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