The Department of Employment and Labour is developing a new Labour Migration Policy aimed at regulating foreign workers in South Africa.<\/p>\n
In a presentation to parliament on Tuesday (30 November), the department said that policy is needed to address population expectations regarding the accessibility of work for South Africans, given worsening unemployment and a perception that foreigners impact labour market access.<\/p>\n
The department said it would achieve this by tackling specific sectors – including the hospitality, tourism, hairdressing and logistics sectors – which have a high number of foreign workers.<\/p>\n
While the formal parts of these sectors employ documented foreigners, less populated and unregulated parts of the country employ undocumented foreign nationals, leading to job losses for locals.<\/p>\n
The department said it was impossible to tell how many of these foreigners are unlawfully employed due to the lack of documentation.<\/p>\n
This has led to distortions in the labour market as South African employers deliberately prefer foreign workers as a source of cheap labour, as they are willing to work for much lower wages.<\/p>\n
At the other end of the spectrum, the policy is expected to help address South Africa’s problem finding critical skills, which skilled foreign workers could supply, the department said.<\/p>\n
The policy will also offer protection to lawful migrant labourers in the country and help enforce rules to ensure foreign workers are treated in line with international treaties.<\/p>\n
This will extend to South Africa’s new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with the policy aiming to develop specific rules for migrant labourers from neighbouring countries, including:<\/p>\n
“Migrants constitute about 4% of the population and 7% of the labour force. Especially since 2000, the influx of largely undocumented migrant workers has increased dramatically in an ever-expanding range of sectors.<\/p>\n
“Migrants are in particular concentrated in the informal sector, which is a worrying trend,” the department said.<\/p>\n
This can be addressed through the introduction of a new flexible quota system, streamlined visas, and strong multilateral partnerships with SADC countries, it said.<\/p>\n