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Zimbabwean migrants risk losing their skills

Many highly qualified Zimbabwean professionals living in the UK and South Africa work in low level jobs. As a result many risk losing their skills. This could affect the long-term development of Zimbabwe, if future economic and political conditions attract these migrants home.

More than half a million people have officially emigrated from Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980, and a third of them relocated to the UK. Figures for unofficial migrants are even higher. According to the Zimbabwean Central Bank 1.2 million Zimbabwean nationals live in South Africa alone. The International Organization for Migration conducted a survey among 1000 Zimbabweans in the UK and South Africa to assess their potential in contributing to the long-term development of Zimbabwe.

The research finds that many of them are highly skilled and qualified professionals and that they were amongst the educated elite in their host countries as well as in Zimbabwe. The study found that:

The majority (82 percent) had a qualification on their arrival either in the UK or South Africa of which 38 percent had a degree or post-graduate qualification.
The majority of respondents (71 percent) were working before they migrated and were employed most often in the education, health and social work sectors.
More than two-thirds were employed in the host country, but many held jobs, such as care assistants in the UK or as agricultural labourers in South Africa that did not require or use their qualifications and experience.
Almost everyone had family still living in Zimbabwe and 96 percent kept in regular touch with them. Three-quarters of respondents sent money back to Zimbabwe mainly to support their family members.
The majority of respondents said they wished to return to Zimbabwe in an improved political and economic climate and 74 percent wanted to contribute to development (the idea of investing in business generated most interest)
Close to 73 percent were interested in participating in a skills transfer programme.

There were several differences between Zimbabweans living in the UK and South Africa. Many respondents in South Africa were undocumented and were more likely to have migrated for economic reasons. However, in the UK migrants were more likely to have relocated for political reasons. The UK migrants were also more likely to participate in activities with other Zimbabweans and sent money back to Zimbabwe more frequently.

Policy implications from this research are:

many migrants risk losing their occupational skills and their ability to contribute to development from the country of residence or on return to Zimbabwe in the future
the loss of skills amongst migrants and the presence of a large number of unofficial migrants working outside the regular employment and immigration system, affect the tax revenue of the host governments
remittances, usually transferred informally or through independent money brokers, are not part of the balance of payments and foreign exchange reserves: changes in rules and innovative remittance facilities in Zimbabwe and in host countries would help migrants to contribute more effectively to development.

Source(s):
‘The Development Potential of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora: A Survey of Zimbabweans Living in the UK and South Africa’, No.19, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Research Series, by Alice Bloch, January 2005 Full document.

id21 Research Highlight: 18 November 2005

Further Information:
Alice Bloch
Department of Sociology
City University
London
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7040 8517
Contact the contributor: a.bloch@city.ac.uk

City University, London

Rossella Di Mento
Research and Publications Division
International Organization for Migration
IOM London
21 Westminster Palace Gardens
Artillery Row
London, SW1P 1RR
UK

Tel: +41 22 717 91 11
Fax: +44 207 233 3001
Contact the contributor: rdimento@iomlondon.org

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

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