THE REINTEGRATION OF ILLEGAL MIGRATION RETURNEES IN OMO NADA DISTRICT, JIMMA ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA By FOJO GUDINA ABSHULA STUDENT ID NO. 53342526 Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the subject Sociology at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR AC ALLAIS 19 APRIL, 2018 DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Carol Allais. It would have been very difficult for me to complete this PhD study without your constructive comments, timely response and motivation. My successful accomplishment of this thesis would not be possible without your unreserved guidance and support. I am always grateful to you throughout my life for your kindness and contribution. I have had often considered myself very lucky to have such excellent and excellent supervision. My heartfelt thanks go to the returned ‘illegal migrants’ to Omo Nada district who provide me the valuable information I need for the study. I also thank the key informant experts from Omo Nada Labour and Social Affairs Office, Youth’s and Sport Affairs Office, Police Office, Women’s and Children’s Affairs Office and World Vision, a non-governmental organization, operating in the district. Thanks to the focus group discussion participants from the community in the district for their invaluable information. I am also grateful to UNISA, members of graduate committee, for your valuable comments on the proposal of the thesis. Your remarks helped me a lot. Thanks to my parents- my father Mr Abashula Fojo and my stepmother, Mrs. Genet Alemu. Your willingness to send me to school and kind supports throughout my school life laid a foundation for what I am today. You always deserve thanks. Similarly, I would like to extend my gratitude to my wife, Mrs Yadeshi Chemeda, for her unreserved encouragement and managing all our family related issues when I was busy with my studies. Finally, my thanks go to Mr Nega Jibat. Achieving my PhD would have been very tough for me without your thoughtful wisdom to guide my decision about at which university I had to start my study. Thank you for your advice and endless support throughout my study. You are my best friend, advisor and my greatest supporter below my creator. I am fortunate to have such a friend in need. ii DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to the returnees of ‘illegal migrants’ to Omo Nada district who were willing to provide me information I need to make my study successful. Without the genuine information they provide me, it would have been difficult for me to complete this study. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGES DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................................. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. iv LIST OF ABBREVATIONS AND ACRONYMS ...................................................................................... ix GLOSSARY OF LOCAL TERMS ............................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background to the study ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1The smuggling-trafficking continuum ........................................................................................... 5 1.1.2 The need for successful reintegration .......................................................................................... 6 1.2 Statement of the problem .................................................................................................................... 7 1.3 Research questions .............................................................................................................................. 9 1.4 Research objectives ............................................................................................................................. 9 1.4.1 General objectives ....................................................................................................................... 9 1.4.2 Specific objectives ........................................................................................................................ 9 1.5 Significance of the study ................................................................................................................... 10 1.6 Scope of the study ............................................................................................................................. 10 1.7 Limitation of the study ...................................................................................................................... 10 1.8 Outline of the chapters ...................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................................ 12 CONCEPTUALIZATION OF KEY TERMS AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS ......................... 12 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Conceptualization of key terms ......................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Global and local situation of illegal migration .................................................................................. 14 2.4 Theoretical perspectives .................................................................................................................... 15 2. 4.1 The ecological system perspectives ........................................................................................... 16 iv 2.4.2 The Symbolic Interactionism perspective ................................................................................... 19 2.5. The differences and similarities between migrant smuggling and human trafficking ..................... 20 2.6 Factors contributing to illegal migration ........................................................................................... 22 2.6.1 Shortage of agricultural land ..................................................................................................... 23 2.6.2 Poverty ....................................................................................................................................... 24 2.6.3 Unemployment ........................................................................................................................... 25 2.6.4 Gender based discrimination and inequality ............................................................................. 26 2.7 The impact of illegal migration ......................................................................................................... 28 2.7.1 Impacts at micro level ................................................................................................................ 28 2.7.2 Impacts at meso level ................................................................................................................. 29 2.7.3 Impacts at macro level ............................................................................................................... 30 2.8 Reintegration of the returnees of illegal migration ........................................................................... 31 2.8.1 Dimensions of reintegration ....................................................................................................... 32 2.9 Addressing stigma and discrimination .............................................................................................. 39 2.10 Returnee empowerment .................................................................................................................. 40 2.11 The international and national instruments on reintegration ........................................................... 40 2.11.1 The international legal instruments ......................................................................................... 40 2.11.2 Ethiopia’s domestic legal instruments relevant to illegal migration ....................................... 41 2.12 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................... 43 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, DESIGN AND THE STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION ........................ 43 3.1 Introduction