Skills, growth and borders: managing migration in South Africa's national interest

This report makes the case for reducing South Africa’s skills shortages by recruiting large numbers of skilled migrants. The author believes that South Africa’s rate of economic growth can be accelerated by dramatically expanding the number of skilled foreigners moving to South Africa.

The document presents the follwing findings: 

• South Africa’s skills production system is grossly inefficient, and the only way to access large numbers of skilled people quickly is through immigration
• however, dramatically increasing skilled migration cannot be separated from other migration issues, such as the obligations towards refugees and asylum-seekers, therefore these issues need to be addressed simultaneously.
  

The paper thinks that South Africa’s policymakers have to choose the best possible mix of law enforcement and other interventions for managing irregular immigration. Furthermore, it concludes the following:

• South Africa urgently needs immigrants to revitalise its faltering services and production sectors
• South Africa needs an immigration policy whose principal purpose is the effective recruitment of very large numbers of skilled people, rather than setting and enforcing quotas
• policy reforms have to address all the main classes of migrants, but this requires citizens to be fully confident in the capacity of their government agencies to manage migration effectively
• smart, cost-effective methods of dealing with irregular migration have to be developed
• an effective system of border management is required in addition to partnerships with neighbouring states to help manage migration
  
• the political and social challenges of unskilled migration need to be actively managed, and creating a legal pathway for unskilled immigrants from neighbourhood should be considered.
  

As a result, South Africa is recommended not only to welcome any migrant with skills, but also to construct a global campaign to attract a high number of skilled immigrants.