International migration and social protection in South Africa

Abstract

For a developing country, South Africa has the most comprehensive social protection system in terms of social grant coverage. Moreover, the country is also often hailed for its transformative constitution which enshrines socio-economic rights for all. Similarly, South Africa is widely praised for its progressive refugee policy, which encourages refugees to self-settle into the local community, and those who are not able to support themselves are provided with services in the same way as the citizens of South Africa. In light of this, in 2012 the Department of Social Development promulgated changes to the regulations, by which refugees became eligible to claim social grants provided by the government of South Africa. Despite these amendments and constitutional rights, information from the literature and qualitative narratives from migrants living in households that receive social grants and key informants from organizations that assist migrants reveal that institutional challenges and impediments, that is, bureaucratic hurdles and administrative constraints along with language barriers and documentation problems prohibit or delay international migrants from accessing social grants in South Africa. In response to these adversities, this research study proposes the “African ubuntu” value as the best humanitarian principle and practice that should guide the South African government in providing social assistance to migrants from indigent groups, such as the unemployed, people with disabilities, children, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly.