Project Number: 105113

Budget (IDRC Contribution): CAD $548,500

Timeframe: 24 Months

 

 

The pattern of migration in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region has undergone a major transformation since 1990. Every country in the region has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people crossing borders, with majority of migrants mainly engaging in migration as a livelihood strategy. This project will contribute to the implementation of the African Union’s Migration Policy Framework and Common Position on Migration and Development. It indicates the importance of migration and development to the continental agenda and provides a critical Africa centric benchmark on strategies to maximize the developmental potential of international migration. Within SADC, the central role of migration in regional integration, poverty reduction and social and economic development is also being recognized. Undocumented migration has seen a dramatic increase from unstable countries like Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to South Africa and Botswana,  and xenophobia in these countries against foreigners is on the rise. Because of political instability, forced migration has generated a massive population flow. In countries like Angola and Mozambique, post conflict returnees and their reintegration challenge the ability of these countries to overcome a legacy of civil war.  The project will focus on four themes identified in the African Union (AU) Common Position: (i) migration, poverty and development links; (ii) migration and regional integration; (iii) peace, security and migration integration; and (iv) migration and diaspora engagement.  This project is an initiative of the Southern African Migration Project (SAMP), which is an international network of organizations founded in 1996 to promote awareness of migration-development linkages.

 

 

The general objective of this project is to advance the development and poverty alleviation potential of migration in the Southern African region through rigorous and reliable research that builds research and networking capacity, meets the priority areas of the African Common Position on Migration and Development, and impacts on ongoing policy implementation processes around both migration and development.

 

Its specific objectives are to:

 

Each of the four components of the project will involve its own data collection methods. SAMP will make use of its existing databases, particularly the SAMP Migration and Remittances (MARS) database and the Migration and Poverty (MAPS) database. Interviews with key informants in government and the policy community will be carried out.  The goal of these is to understand existing conceptualizations of the migration-development nexus and identify how such conceptualizations may inhibit development-oriented migration policies. Time series data on official migration between countries of the SADC region will be collected and the study will conduct origin and destination (O & D) survey at selected border posts throughout the region. On diaspora engagement which will be a new area of research for SAMP, the methodology will include: the compilation of a data base of SADC migrants in Canada detailing their demographic profile and geographical distribution.   The method of data analysis will include multivariate analysis of the SAMP database; basic statistical analysis of the O & D survey results; textual analysis of interview transcripts; basic statistical analysis of the results of a survey on xenophobia and textual analysis of case-study transcripts.

 

 

The project outputs will be published in the SAMP Migration Policy Series, the SAMP Migration Policy Briefs Series and the Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA) Series.  It is anticipated to publish 12 new research reports in the Policy Series, 5 Policy Briefs and four MIDSA Reports (one for each of the research themes).  In addition, a special issue of the popular SAMP newsletter, Crossings will be published featuring project results. All outputs will be available for download from the SAMP website. The Project will train several students in migration research and analysis (up to three Canadian MA students at Queen’s University and up to five African M.A. students at the University of Cape Town).  The students will work on topics that contribute to the research objectives of the project and will have the opportunity to work collaboratively to share knowledge and learning under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Crush.

 

Expected Outcomes

 

It is expected that the high international and regional profile of SAMP, will ensure that the regional policy uptake of this project will be maximized. Through the MIDSA forum the project will deliver information, analysis and policy recommendations to all SADC states on migration and development issues.  It is expected that the primary users of the policy related outcomes will be senior officials and ministers at the SADC secretariat, which is charged with the implementation of the draft protocol on the facilitation of movement of persons in SADC. SAMP has a strong policy development focus and has been involved in migration policy reform in Southern Africa for a number of years. SAMP has undertaken migration and development work for UNESCO, UN HABITAT, the World Bank, the ILO and the IOM.  

 

Globalization Growth and Poverty (GGP) Research Area

 

This project addresses GGP research area on patterns and drivers of inclusive growth. It also addresses the research area on providing social protection. 

 

 

Basil Jones is the IDRC officer responsible for this project.

 

 

The lead partner for this project in Southern Africa is the Institute for Democracy in Southern Africa (IDASA) which is a prominent South African public interest NGO (Section 21 Company).  IDASA is a founding member of SAMP (with Queen’s University) in 1996 and has played a key role in the network ever since.  The Canadian partner for the project is the Southern African Research Centre (SARC) at Queen’s University. They have extensive international expertise in the area of migration and development.  SARC has played a central role in conceptualizing, coordinating and managing the SAMP network since its inception. 

 

 

Professor Jonathan Crush

Queens University

152 Albert Street

Kingston ON K7L 3N6

Canada

Tel: +613 533 6963

Fax: +613 533 2171

Email: crushj@queensu.ca

 

Vincent Williams

Program Manager

6 Spin Street,

Cape Town 8001

South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)21 467 7600

Fax: +27 (0)21 633 3136

Email: vwilliams@idasa.org.za