Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Southern African Migration Programme Reports and Papers 2012 No. 63: Dystopia and Disengagement: Diaspora Attitudes Towards South Africa Jonathan Crush Balsillie School of International Affairs/WLU, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/samp Part of the African Studies Commons, Economics Commons, and the Migration Studies Commons Recommended Citation Crush, J. (2012). Dystopia and Disengagement: Diaspora Attitudes Towards South Africa (rep., pp. i-25). Waterloo, ON: Southern African Migration Programme. SAMP Migration Policy Series No. 63. This Migration Policy Series is brought to you for free and open access by the Reports and Papers at Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Southern African Migration Programme by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. the southern african migration programme Dystopia anD Disengagement: Diaspora attituDes towarDs south africa migration policy series no. 63 Dystopia anD Disengagement: Diaspora attituDes towarDs south africa Jonathan crush series eDitor: prof. Jonathan crush southern african migration programme (samp) 2012 acknowleDgements The author is CIGI Chair in Global Migration and Development at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town. He wishes to thank the following for their assistance with the survey on which this report is based: Abel Chikanda, Mary Caesar, Wade Pendleton, Cassan- dra Eberhardt and Ashley Hill. The research was funded by the IDRC. © Southern African Migration Programme (SAMP) 2012 ISBN 978-1-920596-04-0 First published 2012 Production by Bronwen Dachs Müller, Cape Town All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the publisher. Printed by Megadigital, Cape Town contents page executive summary 1 introDuction 4 moving to canaDa 8 the kaplan view 13 conclusion 19 enDnotes 21 migration policy series 23 list of tables table 1: annual income of canaDian population anD 10 south african immigrants in canaDa table 2: assets in south africa by year of immigration to canaDa 11 table 3: cultural practices of south african canaDians 12 table 4: comparisons of canaDa anD south africa 13 list of figures figure 1: cartoon commentary on the huntley case 6 figure 2: immigration to canaDa from south africa, 1980–2009 8 MMIGRATIONigration PPOLICYolicy SERIESerieS NnOo. 4563 eExecutiveXECUTIVE sSummaryUMMARY n 2008, Southealth workersAfrican areBrandon one of Huntleythe categories was given of skilled refugee profession- status in ICanada byals the most Canadian affected Immigrationby globalization. and OverRefugee the Boardpast decade, (IRB). The unprecedentedthere decision, has emerged based a on substantial Huntley’s body claim of thatresearch as a thatwhite tracks South HAfrican he patternswas the ofvictim international of racial persecutionmigration of in health South personnel, Africa, caused aassesses firestorm. causes Interest and consequences, in the case was and particularly debates policy intense responses in South at globalAfrica itselfand national where the scales. decision Within was thisderided literature, in the themedia case and of Souththe South Africa African is governmentattracting growing lodged interest.a formal Forprotest almost with 15 the years Canadian South Africagovernment. has been Over 140the targethigh-profile of a ‘global South raiding’ African of academics skilled professionals also filed a by petition several protesting devel- theoped decision countries. with How the to Canadian deal with Highthe consequences Commission ofin the Pretoria. resultant Within out- weeks,flow of thehealth Canadian professionals Minister is aof core Citizenship policy issue and forImmigration the national had gov- lodged anernment. appeal against the IRB decision with the Federal Court of Appeal. Some haveThis claimed paper thataims the to todecision examine of policythe Canadian debates andGovernment issues concerning to seek to overturnthe migration the decision of skilled of health the IRB professionals was motivated from theby acountry desire andto appease to Southfurnish Africa. new insights This is on highly the recruitmentunlikely. Rather patterns, the of Canadian skilled health government per- wassonnel. concerned The objectives about the of precedent-settingthe paper are twofold: nature of the case and that it couldQ set +CDFCJ=895B5I8=HC:H<9CF;5B=N5H=CB5B8D5HH9FBGC:F97FI=H the stage for a flood of applications from similarly unskilled white South Africansment of seeking skilled professionalsa route into Canada. from South Africa in the health In latesector. 2010, The Justice paper James draws Russell upon of a thedetailed Federal analysis Court ofof recruitmentAppeal issued an extendedadvertising judgment appearing upholding in the theSouth Canadian African Medicalgovernment’s Journal appeal for and sendingthe period the Huntley 2000-2004 case and back a seriesto the of IRB interviews for reconsideration. conducted with The Supremeprivate Court recruitingof Canada enterprises. declined to hear an appeal of this judgment in mid-2012,Q 5G98IDCBH<956CJ95B5@MG=G5B8588=H=CB5@=BH9FJ=9KGK=H< so the case will be got back to the IRB. Huntley’s lawyers are confidentkey of stakeholders a second success in the atSouth the AfricanIRB, indicating health sector,that the the attention paper given tooffers his case a series will ofmake recommendations him a marked manfor addressing if he is returned the problem to South of Africa. However,skilled health Justice migration. Russell Theseprovided recommendations a systematic and are painstakinggrounded demolitionin both of virtually South Africanevery element experience of the and original an interrogation IRB decision of inter-and it seems highlynational unlikely debates that and Huntley ‘good will policy’ ever practice be able tofor prove regulating that he recruit- quali- fies for refugeement. protection status in Canada. The case may still drag on for severalThe morepaper years, is organized however, into as five Huntley sections. would Section be entitled Two positions to institute a seconddebates round about ofthe appeals migration in the of courtsskilled if health his claim professionals is rejected within this time. a widerIn constructingliterature that a discussesnarrative theto convince international IRB judgemobility William of talent. Davis that heSection qualified Three for reviews protection research under on the the UN global Refugee circulation Convention, of health Huntley pro- andfessionals, his lawyers focusing attempted in particular to show upon that debates he had relatingbeen the to victim the experience of a series ofof countriesracially-motivated in the developing personal world.assaults Section and that Four the moves state the had focus failed from in itsinternational duty to protect. to South None African of these issues supposed and provides attacks new were empirical ever reported mate- torial the drawn police from which the surveyproved of rather recruitment awkward patterns for his and case. key However,interviews this wasundertaken explained with away health with sector the circular recruiters argument operating that in sinceSouth the Africa. police did nothingSection whenFive addresses whites were the questionsattacked, ofthere changing was no policy point interventions in reporting thein assaults.South Africa Huntley’s towards recounting the outflow of his of experiencesskilled health make professionals interesting and reading the butrecruitment they were of not, foreign in fact, health central professionals to the Davis to work decision. in South Africa. The 1 kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk MIGRATION POLICY SERIES NO. 45 Dystopia anD Disengagement: Diaspora attituDes towarDs south africa EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Here we focus on what Davis called the “lifeline” of the Huntley deci- sion: that is, the case made by Huntley’s lawyer, Russell Kaplan and his ealth workers are one of the categories of skilled profession- sister Lara Kaplan, that all whites in South Africa are being systematically als most affected by globalization. Over the past decade, targeted because of the colour of their skin. Justice Russell rejected this there has emerged a substantial body of research that tracks argument, and the selective evidence presented by the Kaplans, in its patterns of international migration of health personnel, entirety. He designated their portrayal of the situation in South Africa the H “Kaplan view.” The core elements of the Kaplan view included assertions assesses causes and consequences, and debates policy responses at global and national scales. Within this literature, the case of South Africa is that all Black South Africans hated white South Africans; that the country attracting growing interest. For almost 15 years South Africa has been was experiencing “reverse apartheid; that black South Africans have “no the target of a ‘global raiding’ of skilled professionals by several devel- regard” for the lives of white South Africans; that most violent crimes are oped countries. How to deal with the consequences of the resultant out- committed by black against white South Africans; that the police will do flow of health professionals is a core policy issue for the national gov- nothing about the crimes committed against white South Africans; that ernment.