All You Need To Know About The South African Labor Migration Policy

Labour migration in Africa is largely driven by the low-skilled workers’ migration, and it is mostly intra-regional. Almost all African countries have been a participant in migration flows, whether as a migration destination or as a country of origin/transit. The major driver of migration in the African continent is demand in the economic sectors, including mining, fishing, agriculture, and construction. Besides this, healthcare, domestic work, hotels, restaurants, and retail trade are other important drivers of migration in the continent. Most African migrants and asylum seekers use the same corridors and routes of migration.

In view of these facts, the South African government has come out with the National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP). The policy was tabled by the South African Employment and Labour minister, Thulas Nxesi, for comments and engagement on 28th February 2022. It has been formulated to manage and combat the increasing migration flows in the international and national labor market. In this article, we will provide you with everything you need to know about the South African Labour Migration Policy.

National Labour Migration Policy – Addressing the Concerns of South Africans 

The National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) is a landmark policy in the history of South Africa that was formulated after extensive research. It was developed to manage the increasing migration flows in the international labor market. The proposed NLMP will aim to address the expectations of South Africans regarding access to job opportunities in the face of worsening unemployment. There is also the perception that foreigners are behind the distortion of access to the labor market. With this policy, there will now be a quota system for the number of foreign nationals (having work visas) that will be allowed to work in major sectors. These economic sectors would consist of hospitality, agriculture, tourism, and construction.

The National Labour Migration Policy will also make amendments to the Small Business Act. This will impose limitations on the foreign nationals who are interested in establishing SMMEs in a few sectors of the South African economy. The Department of Home Affairs in South Africa is also working to ensure that orderly movement of citizens and foreign nationals takes place through the borders.

National Labour Migration Policy – Protecting the Rights of Refugees and Migrants

The Department of Home Affairs has also provided guidance to all educational institutions to prioritize training interventions and education in certain key areas. As part of the guidelines, the DHA has provided a list of critical skills that are in high demand. This list will work as a last resort to allocate foreign nationals with work visas. If they have received job offers and also have the skills mentioned in the list, they will be allowed work visas. However, the South African government is also planning to impose obligations on both foreign nationals and employers to transfer critical skills to locals. The visa permit will also be limited to a specific duration. The labor minister Thulas Nxesi said in an interview recently that the initiatives will be implemented in the context of cooperation and regional integration imperatives that have already been agreed upon.

Conclusion

The National Labour Migration Policy will be able to address many of the issues concerning national and international migration in South Africa. The ultimate aim of the policy will be to strike a balance between South Africans’ expectations about job opportunities and the labor market needs in the country. The policy will also protect the interests of the migrant workers and their families in accordance with international guidelines.