Durban - The Department of Home Affairs would help foreigners who wanted to go back to their home countries the Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, said in Durban on Tuesday.
At a media briefing he said 65 officials had been made available to issue emergency certificates for people wanting to return home.
Gigaba said the Ethiopian government had been repatriating its citizens for the past nine months and more than 1 000 had chosen to go home.
He said this after meeting various ambassadors about the violence that has erupted in the province.
While the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday that it was deeply concerned about the xenophobic attacks and had sent an assessment mission to Durban on Tuesday.
“The vast majority of refugees and asylum seekers on arrival in the country present themselves to the authorities and are given documents that allow them to stay legally in the country. To lump them in the category of illegal migrants and or unlawful residents, is not only incorrect but serves to stigmatise them rather than to acknowledge that the circumstances of their plight require that they be protected,” said regional representative, Clementine Nkweta-Salami.
Gigaba said South Africa had one of the highest rates of economic migrants in Africa because of the strong economy.
There was also a high number of asylum seekers in the country.
The department was aware that as much as 95 percent of people applying for asylum were not actual asylum seekers, but economic migrants.
“They end up making stories where there are none,” Gigaba said.
He said the department was making plans for the regularisation of economic migrants.
“Immigrants have a positive contribution to make to South Africa,” he said.
The perception that immigrants did not pay tax was incorrect as most did and those who did not, fell into the category of people who are exempt from tax.
An inter-ministerial committee has been formed to combat the current wave of violence. The committee consists of the departments of Home Affairs, Police and State Security, which would advise on the best way to reintegrate people back into the communities.
“The priority now is to save lives and not whether they are illegal or not,” Gigaba said.
The briefing was also attended by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu who said he rejected violence against anyone.
“All we are saying is put your matters on the table and let’s discuss them... We have long ears as government to listen to our people,” Mchunu said.
Crime intelligence officials are also working on curbing the xenophobic violence.
The eThekwini Municipality said what was happening was unacceptable, adding that teams from various government departments and the city were working with all concerned stakeholders.
Daily News