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Fin24 reports that according to the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), migrants constitute about 4% of the population in SA and 7% of the country's labour force.
The department made a presentation to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Tourism on Tuesday. Migration patterns tracked by the department shows that, especially since 2000, there has been a "dramatic influx" of mainly undocumented migrant workers. A worrying trend for the DEL is that these migrants are particularly concentrated in the informal sector. The department would like to see access to SA's labour market regulated and monitored via "a flexible quota system", a streamlined and seamless visa regime and strong bilateral and multi-lateral partnerships among SADC countries. "Support SADC regional labour market initiatives via ring-fenced visa arrangements to the benefit of SADC citizens," the department suggested. According to the DEL, there is a need to address insufficient and absent policy frameworks, for example, concerning recruitment, data requirements, and labour migration to and from SA. An appropriate legislative framework has to accompany the policy in order to provide the mandate for state interventions. In the view of the department, it is thus necessary to review current bilateral labour agreements. Insufficient regulatory frameworks, for example regarding recruitment, also need to be addressed.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carin Smith at Fin24
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