Ramaphosa says South Africa 'cracking down' but warns against xenophobia

Capital FM Kenya

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on Tuesday for stricter enforcement of immigration laws, saying illegal migration is putting pressure on public services, while warning against xenophobia, vigilantism and social division.  Speaking during a national address, Ramaphosa said migration can contribute to economic growth when properly managed, but stressed the need for stronger control of flows.  “We need to deal with illegal migration,” he said. “We have seen how illegal immigration into our country can put pressure on our public services and undermine our efforts to create decent work for all.”  He added that the government is stepping up enforcement measures, including measures to clamp down on employers of illegal immigrants, a stronger legal framework for dealing with violations, as well as tougher border security operations.  “We're cracking down on violations of immigration laws,” Ramaphosa said. “We are increasing our inspections of workplaces and prosecuting employers who violate our labour laws. We are strengthening border security, stamping out corruption in the immigration system and closing the loopholes in fragmented immigration laws.”  At the same time, he warned that enforcement must not fuel discrimination or violence against foreign nationals.  “We must never give in to violence, to xenophobia, and to vigilantism,” he said.  According to Statistics South Africa and the Department of Home Affairs, foreign-born residents account for an estimated 3–5% of the country’s population, with Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho among the main countries of origin.  Follow us on: WhatsApp cutt.ly/WhatsAppCFM https://twitter.com/capitalfmkenya/ https://www.facebook.com/capitalfmkenya https://www.instagram.com/capitalfmkenya  Subscribe to Capital FM News for More: https://goo.gl/um4AGk  98.4 Capital FM 93.0 Western Kenya 98.5 Nakuru and Nyeri 104.5 Malindi 102.7 Garissa 103.9 Meru 106.5 Kitui 104.9 Voi  #CapitalFmKenya

Transcript

00:00As we work to build a safer, more stable and more prosperous society, we do need to address the challenge

00:10of migration.

00:13When it is well managed and regulated, migration can help to drive economic growth and opportunity for all.

00:25However, we need to deal with illegal migration.

00:30We have seen how illegal immigration into our country can put pressure on our public services and undermine our efforts

00:41to create decent work for all.

00:45As announced in the State of the Nation address, government is taking decisive action to address this challenge.

00:53We are cracking down on violations of immigration laws.

00:58We are increasing our inspections of workplaces and prosecuting employers who violate our labor laws.

01:08We are strengthening border security, stamping out corruption in the immigration system and closing the loopholes in fragmented immigration laws.

01:27We must be clear, however, every person in South Africa, whether they are citizens or foreign nationals, must respect our

01:38laws.

01:39They must also respect the rights of every person in our country, and our laws must be upheld.

01:50We must never give in to violence, to xenophobia, and to vigilantism.

02:01As a society, we must stand against all forms of disinformation, of incitement, of false information being spread around, of

02:14racism and ethnic mobilization.

02:18We will continue to strengthen and enforce our laws while upholding the Constitution of the Republic, and also respecting the

02:31human dignity of all.

02:33This will enable us to deal with illegal immigration without turning against one another.

02:42However, in all cases, we will be לא-life-gazard.

02:43We have implemented the MiLSS-LawM Foundation.

02:43You

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