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ZEF rejects the call for refugee camps
Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF)
July 19, 2007

Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) follows with great interest the current proposals on ways to curb the influx of Zimbabweans refugees crossing the borders into South Africa. In particular, ZEF is mainly concerned by the Democratic Alliance Party's (DA) call for refugee camps as a way of coping with the thousands of Zimbabweans daily crossing the borders. ZEF is of the opinion that the establishment of refugee camps could present risks of human rights violations and would interfere with South African and International refugee laws. ZEF rather favours the Minister of Home Affairs Nosisiwe Maphisa-Nqakula's proposal to integrate Zimbabwean refugees into South African society, and additionally calls for an immediate humanitarian response.

ZEF maintains that the establishment of refugee camps would restrict Zimbabwean refugees' freedom of movement, while increasing the risk of stigmatisation through segregation. Furthermore, ZEF fears that the refugee camps could turn into glorified detention centres, which would violate Zimbabwean refugees' human rights and pose many risks, such as the outbreak of epidemics.

According to the South African Constitution, all the rights enshrined in Chapter 2 (Bill of Rights) apply to everyone in the Republic of South Africa including Zimbabwean refugees. By favouring integration, the South African community, as the host country, recognizes Zimbabwean refugees as citizens and stands to benefit from the skills that Zimbabwean refugees possess, which in turn will contribute to the economic and social development of South Africa. It should also be remembered that during the apartheid era, the ANC exiled members who sought refuge in Zimbabwe were given the opportunity to integrate into the Zimbabwean community, benefiting from the education and health care systems.

However, while favouring the integration of Zimbabwean refugees, ZEF strongly appeals for an immediate allocation of resources towards Zimbabwean refugees through a structured humanitarian plan. ZEF suggests that humanitarian support centres be set up in order to respond to refugees' needs, i.e. food, shelter, health care and education facilities. This plan should also define strategies to facilitate the repatriation process when the situation stabilizes in Zimbabwe. Finally, ZEF urges the South African Government to address the Zimbabwean crisis not only by dealing with the symptoms, but by focusing on the fundamental problem: the governance crisis in Zimbabwe.

Visit the ZEF fact sheet

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