Fears have been raised that this will endanger the lives of those with permits and their dependents. Thabo Leshilo of The Conversation Africa spoke with Sikanyiso Masuku, a specialist in immigration and migration, about the problem.
The Zimbabwe Exemption Permit: What is it?
The South African government acknowledged that it had a sizable population of Zimbabwean migrants, so in 2010, it offered an amnesty intended to legalize the status of people who had either unlawfully obtained other South African legal documents in order to stay in the country or had falsely claimed asylum.
This Zimbabwe Permit Dispensation was in effect until 2014. It was replaced by the Zimbabwe Special Permit, which lasted from September 2017 to December 2021. It was then succeeded by the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit.
How many people are authorized?
Three waves of Zimbabwean migration to South Africa throughout the 1990s have produced 178,412 Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders. Some did so between 1994 and 1997, immediately following the end of apartheid. In 2000, there was an inflow as Zimbabweans fled a political and economic turmoil. Only in 2002 was this category of migrant workers designated as asylum seekers. Then, in 2008, more Zimbabweans began to arrive as a result of a worsening economic crisis.
The Immigration Act of South Africa allows for work under various visas. The general work visa, the key talents visa, and permanent residency authorizations are some of these visas. The Zimbabweans discovered that none of these visas were appropriate for them. As a result, the majority chose to apply for refuge in order to live and work in the
An acceptable solution seems to be the gradual revocation of the exemption permit. Assessing and mitigating the resulting social and economic repercussions of the shift should be part of this process. The permit holders might then be able to explore longer-lasting and different options and find closure.
