Plea for amnesty for all undocumented immigrants

THE African Diaspora Forum (ADF) is seeking general amnesty for all undocumented immigrants in South Africa.

The organisation’s chairman‚ Marc Gbaffou‚ was speaking at the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) twoday national investigative hearing on migration‚ xenophobia and social cohesion.

“Many immigrants’ kids cannot go to school because their parents are illegal in this country‚ making the children illegal as well. Although the South African constitution stipulates that every child has a right to education‚ some children have continuously been denied these rights‚” he said.

The forum said that it was in this light that it was requesting the government to grant amnesty to those who were already living in the country.

“Instead of continuing to live on the sidelines of the law‚ in which they continue to access social services through illegal means‚ they must be allowed to contribute to the development of this country‚” said Gbaffou.

The forum acknowledged the country’s efforts to improve immigrants’ lives by granting both Zimbabwean and Lesotho nationals special permits, but believes the gesture could be extended to immigrants from other Southern African Development Community countries.

“Why are we making it so difficult? Why don’t we make sure that everyone has access to basic services and they are accounted for?” he asked.