Botswana's New Leader Vows to Legalize Zimbabwean Migrants

Botswana's new president intends to legalize undocumented Zimbabwean migrants, saying migrants "perform jobs that otherwise not get done".

Newly inaugurated President Boko made the remarks after winning the country's historic election last week, which unseated the party governing Botswana since 1966.  Boko said he wants undocumented Zimbabweans to be legalized by granting them temporary work and residence permits, reported BBC.

Since Zimbabwe's economy collapsed due to hyperinflation two decades ago, thousands of Zimbabweans are moving back and forth to Botswana, with some seeking political refuge. According to statistics, Zimbabweans make up 98% of "irregular migrants".

BBC reports that Botswana hosts the second-largest community of Zimbabweans fleeing their country's economic woes - and they are often resented, with deportations happening every day.

"They do jobs that would otherwise not get done… So what we need to do is to formalize, have a proper arrangement that recognizes that people from Zimbabwe are already here," Boko said.

Last year, the government faced a backlash after it proposed using identity cards instead of passports for those traveling between Botswana and Zimbabwe.

However, there has been significant opposition by Botswana parliamentarians to the idea of using identity cards instead of passports for travel between Botswana and Zimbabwe, due to fears that it would increase the number of Zimbabweans immigrating to Botswana.

In South Africa, Zimbabwean migrants face significant challenges and often experience discrimination and xenophobia. Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa have been regularized through various government programs, including the Zimbabwean Dispensation Project (ZDP) and the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP).  These permits allowed its holders and their children to temporarily live, work, and study in South Africa. However, in 2021 the Department of Home Affairs (DHA)  announced that they would not extend the ZEP forcing hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans to scramble for visa options they might qualify for. The refusal to renew the ZEP and the imposed condition for a 12-month grace period require ZEP holders to regularize their stay through the nation's normal immigration laws.

In June 2023, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria declared former Home Affairs Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi 's decision to terminate the ZEP unlawful, unconstitutional, and invalid. Then the Constitutional Court ruled that Motsoaledi had not adequately consulted the permit holders and granted an interim interdict barring any detention or deportation of permit holders.

This article originally featured in AllAfrica.