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Transnational Social Protection in Southern Africa: Labour Migration to South Africa from Mozambique and Malawi
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About this book
About this book
This book examines the issues surrounding social protection for people who move across the borders from Mozambique and Malawi to South Africa and to work as migrant workers. Specifically, it discusses the literature on social protection for international migrants; the history of cross-border migration in the southern African region; migration and social protection policies in post-apartheid South Africa; occupational diseases among Mozambican migrant mineworkers and their access to benefits and compensation systems; and the strategy of ‘migration as social protection’ for international migrants from rural northern Malawi. South Africa has one of the best systems of formal social protection in the Global South. For example, migrant mineworkers have the right to join provident funds, and permanent residents and refugees are entitled to receive forms of social assistance such as social pension. However, after migrant mineworkers return to their countries of origin, it is extremely difficult for them to apply for benefits and compensation for occupational diseases, even if they are entitled to them. This book argues that to realise social protection for migrant workers in the southern African region, not only the governments of migrant-receiving countries but also the governments of sending countries and regional organisations must play important roles.
Contents
Perface
Chapter 1
Social Protection for International Migrants: An Introduction
Chapter 2
International Population Movements in Southern Africa: A Historical Exploration
Chapter 3
The Nexus between International Migration and Social Protection Policies in South Africa
Chapter 4
Social Protection for Migrant Workers and Global Enterprises: A Case of Occupational Diseases among Mozambican Mine Workers
Chapter 5
Malawian Migration to South Africa and Social Protection
Conclusion
Towards Transnational Social Protection in Southern Africa
Preface
Preface
This book is the outcome of the research project ‘Transnational Social Protection in Southern Africa’ conducted at the Institute of Developing Economies in FY2022–2023. It discusses the policies, practices and challenges related to social protection for international migrants, based on the case studies of three countries: South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi. South Africa has received the largest number of international migrants in sub-Saharan Africa, while Mozambique and Malawi have sent large numbers of migrant workers to South Africa since the late 19th century. ‘Social protection’ is a comprehensive concept, encompassing not only social security and social welfare but also policies for employment, health care, education, housing and poverty reduction. In the context of migration studies, scholars have also examined the various strategies and practices used by migrants to achieve social protection as well as the formal and informal resources available to them. This book addresses both the policies for social protection by the states and the practices to achieve social protection by migrants themselves.
I became interested in researching ‘social protection for international migrants’ when I attended an international conference organized by the Southern Africa Social Protection Experts Networks (SASPEN; a non-profit organization based in Lusaka, Zambia), in October 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Speakers included policymakers and practitioners from ministries of social security in southern African countries; academics; and representatives from international organisations and civil society organisations. They spoke mainly about the existing international and regional frameworks to realise social protection for international migrants and discussed the portability of social security rights, especially pensions. At the time, I had just started conducting research on irregular migrants in South Africa, and it seemed difficult to address social protection policies and practices targeting irregular migrants. Instead, I realized I should start studying the policies and practices of social protection for migrant workers sent from neighbouring countries to the South African mines through bilateral agreements.
Due to other commitments, I was not able to organize a research project on this topic until FY2021, at which time I asked my colleagues, Kumiko Makino, who had been studying the social security system in South Africa, and Akiyo Aminaka, who had been studying migrant mineworkers from Mozambique, to participate in the project. We spent one year engaged in desktop research because of the restrictions on overseas travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful to Professor Koichi Usami of Doshisha University, for his guest lecture on the social security of female migrant workers in Argentina. We held an interesting discussion with him in which we compared the similarities and differences between sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Travel restrictions were finally lifted in FY2022 and we were able to conduct fieldwork in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa during the course of this research project. Chapters 4 and 5 in particular would not have been written in their current forms had we not been able to conduct fieldwork and interviews. I cannot help but feel grateful that the COVID-19 pandemic is now under control, enabling us to once again conduct fieldwork in African countries.
This book is about the policies and practices of social protection in the destination (receiving) and origin (sending) countries of international migrants in the southern Africa region, namely, South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi. Needless to say, the cross-border movement of people is not limited to this region, and the challenges that must be overcome in order to realise social protection and social rights for international migrants are common to many migrant-receiving countries. This book is available online and can be downloaded by anyone free of charge. We hope that even those who do not have a strong interest in the southern African region will nevertheless download and read it. One can also order a physical copy of the book through print-on-demand services from Amazon, Rakuten Books and Sanseido Bookstore for a fee.
August 2024
Editor