South Africa’s revised Immigration White Paper could make it even harder for undocumented migrants to access healthcare and other basic services in this country, say civil society groups, who have described the new policy as a “radical overhaul”, reports EWN.
They’ve warned that the latest version of the Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection document – approved by Cabinet in March – could deepen the exclusion of non-South Africans, and even affect those South Africans who may have documentation problems.
Groups representing migrants and healthcare activists argue the policy could entrench documentation checks and strengthen migration controls at a time when anti-immigrant sentiment is rising.
Dr Rebecca Walker from the African Centre for Migration and Society at Wits, speaking on behalf of Collective Voices for Health Access, said the revised policy merged the Immigration Act, the Refugees Act and the Citizenship Act into one system, creating what she described as a “radical overhaul” of South Africa’s immigration framework.
She warned that this could harm the wider healthcare system, not only undocumented migrants.
“We are really worried about the kind of exclusion that’s becoming entrenched through this White Paper at a time when anti migrant sentiments are becoming louder and louder,” she said.
What the law says
Currently, documentation is not required for access to basic healthcare services, with pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children under six also being entitled to free healthcare at all levels.
Walker rejected claims that undocumented migrants were responsible for pressure on public healthcare facilities. “This is completely unsupported by evidence,” she said.
Fears over digital verification systems
Although the revised White Paper did not explicitly mention healthcare exclusion, Walker argued that its proposals could still create barriers, pointing to plans linking civil registration systems, digital verification and stronger co-ordination between government departments.
She said these systems could effectively create “documentation checks at the door” of clinics and hospitals.
“The policy produces exclusion without explicitly stating it,” she said, and warned that undocumented migrants could become afraid to seek medical treatment if healthcare systems became more closely linked to immigration enforcement.
Calls for better systems
Improving access to legal documentation could help reduce tensions around immigration and access to public services, she suggested, arguing that many migrants were left undocumented because of failures within government systems.
Some South Africans also struggled with documentation, she noted. “Thirteen percent of South Africans do not have IDs.”
Improving documentation systems would help address broader problems affecting both migrants and South African citizens, she said.
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