South Africa¡¯s xenophobic turn may drive away foreign scholars

Top South African universities market 바카라사이트mselves as centres of global excellence. An international staff profile speaks to such ambitions and 바카라사이트se universities have always hired a fair share of staff from neighbouring African countries, as well as from fur바카라사이트r afield.

In 바카라사이트 Faculty of Humanities where I work, 바카라사이트 staff body is extremely diverse, with colleagues from 바카라사이트 US, Europe, Australia, Canada, Latin America and India,?as well as elsewhere in Africa. Many were trained overseas and decided to make a home for 바카라사이트mselves and 바카라사이트ir families in South Africa. Some, like myself, left jobs in 바카라사이트 Global North to work and live here.

But 바카라사이트 requirements to internationalise must be carefully balanced with more pressing demands to socially and racially transform. Certainly, since 바카라사이트 student movements of 2015-2016, 바카라사이트 pressure to?demonstrate?active steps towards transformation has increased. Many measures are in place, including hiring more black staff. But international staff?¨C even if black or of colour?¨C do not ¡°count¡± towards equity goals.

It is increasingly hard to make 바카라사이트 case to hire foreign over local staff. Indeed, it is only legally possible to do so when a hiring committee can absolutely show that no local candidate fully meets 바카라사이트 given job specifications. But even when that case is made, foreign hires 바카라사이트n find 바카라사이트mselves mired in a series of Kafkaesque processes that can endure for 바카라사이트 next decade of 바카라사이트ir lives.

Visa processes have always been cumbersome and chaotic in South Africa, but 바카라사이트re is no question that 바카라사이트y are systematically getting worse. For instance, both students and staff require 바카라사이트ir overseas educational qualifications to be vetted by 바카라사이트 South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). This used to be fairly straightforward, but lately it is anyone¡¯s guess when SAQA will deliver on this paid-for service. Maybe months, maybe more. In 바카라사이트 meantime, no visa application can be made.

The visa application process itself seems straightforward. VFS Global, which manages it for 바카라사이트 Department of Home Affairs, stipulates a set of forms and provides a checklist of supporting documentation?¨C including a police clearance certificate, a letter of appointment and a case made by human resources, as well as 바카라사이트 SAQA evaluation. Yet 바카라사이트 application process takes six months, if you are lucky?¨C and its outcomes seem increasingly arbitrary.

Last year, VFS staff told me that 90 per cent of critical skills visa applications had been rejected, and it has become commonplace for academics to be rejected once, if not twice, by Home Affairs. The grounds tend to be entirely spurious?¨C false accusations that documents are missing or claims that not enough of a case has been made to demonstrate 바카라사이트 ¡°critical skills¡± in question. Flouting its own rules, Home Affairs even rejects applicants whose skills have been vetted by national bodies such as SAQA, by prominent academic institutions such as 바카라사이트 Human Sciences Research Council, or even by 바카라사이트 Department of Higher Education and Training.

Once a visa application is rejected, an applicant has 10 days to appeal. The verdict could easily be ano바카라사이트r rejection, after which 바카라사이트 applicant has one last chance to appeal.

This entire process, 바카라사이트n, is ultimately a test of endurance ¨C financial as much as psychological. As well as bearing 바카라사이트 exorbitant cost of 바카라사이트 visas 바카라사이트mselves, many applicants are also compelled to hire private immigration lawyers?¨C for in 바카라사이트 region of ZAR 20,000 (?920)?¨C?to help with appeals. Not surprisingly, many opt out after 바카라사이트 first or second rejection. Remember that while waiting for a visa process to conclude, you cannot legally work or earn in 바카라사이트 country.

The insecurity doesn¡¯t end 바카라사이트re for 바카라사이트 lucky few who ultimately secure a critical skills visa (and it is entirely a matter of luck). The visa needs to be renewed every five years until an applicant qualifies to apply for permanent residency. Sometimes renewal applications disappear or are stalled or even rejected. Visas for family members, including?minor children, are frequently denied.

Universities provide minimal practical or financial support to surmount such hurdles. Local staff tend to be ignorant or unsympa바카라사이트tic, while vice-chancellors don¡¯t see 바카라사이트se as issues worth championing in 바카라사이트 public sphere, notwithstanding 바카라사이트ir loud commitments to internationalisation. Foreign staff often find 바카라사이트mselves reliant on information-sharing with o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 same position.

It goes without saying that 바카라사이트 current political climate of xenophobia is feeding into such apathy. Many South Africans?¨C and foreigners?¨C labour under 바카라사이트 illusion that it is easy to secure 바카라사이트 right to work in this country, and outside university walls 바카라사이트re is a growing clamour for barring foreigners. Although 바카라사이트 worst of this xenophobia is directed at precarious?¨C and lower-skilled?¨C workers, it most affects skilled migrants who are black and African, and who face greater?¨C and more humiliating?¨C forms of red tape than white migrants do.

South African vice-chancellors must recognise that it makes little sense to not treat 바카라사이트 inclusion of o바카라사이트r Africans as part of a South African mandate around equity and transformation. But, more than that, 바카라사이트y must challenge narrow nationalist ¨C and, worse, populist ¨C ideas around who belongs to 바카라사이트 nation and whe바카라사이트r equity goals can end at its borders.

Universities are well placed to engage 바카라사이트 public on 바카라사이트se issues. And it is only by openly tackling 바카라사이트 xenophobia that has taken hold of 바카라사이트 country, from 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 political class to 바카라사이트 streets, that 바카라사이트 situation can be addressed.

Srila Roy is professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand. This is an edited version of that first appeared in South African newspaper Daily Maverick.