Three insights on migration in a Covid-19 world : Bongani

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The Scalabrini team works with migrants and refugees every day. With such deep expertise at hand, we take the opportunity to reflect on migration with them. This month we speak to Bongani, the Operations Co-ordinator at Scalabrini. He believes that the solidarity seen in Covid-19 lockdown should be taken forward to better South Africa.  

Doors cannot be shut on non-South Africans 

“Covid-19 is a dreadful virus that knows no boundaries and has shown that anyone can be affected.” Bongani acknowledges that the South African government has struggled to provide relief for its people – but that now is not the time to exclude anyone. “We are in direct contact with our brothers and sisters – regardless of colour or creed – who have had to leave home as a way of finding something better for themselves and their loved ones.” 

At work, before lockdown, Bongani noticed how difficult it was for refugees and migrants to integrate “within a society that is still trying to break the boundaries of prejudice.” The added challenge now is access to aid. “The doors cannot be shut on non-South Africans.” While seeing first-hand the conditions that people are living through to survive the Covid-19 lockdown, Bongani has also seen unity and people in communities working together to help each other.  

A common effort is needed by all 

There are lessons to be learnt during this time that could be beneficial to South Africa moving forward, a big lesson being that unity and solidarity always win. “Everyone is fighting a different battle. We should learn to be kind, supportive and caring. Be genuine in your approach to helping people…seeing the individual better is enough of a reward…We are all affected, and a common effort is needed by all.” Bongani asks for us all to find our compassion for one another, with open and honest conversations in order to move forward.  

Solidarity always, not only in the face of a crisis 

Across the world, people are experiencing changes and difficult times. We are living by a specific set of rules in order to help stop the spread and to protect one another.  “In the same way that we are all responsible for adhering to rules and regulations to curb the spread together, we must adhere to and be genuinely responsible for the plight of refugees and non-South African citizens.” 

Across social media we see people coming together and helping one another, which should not trickle away once lockdown and life eases. Bongani’s ideal vision of post Covid-19 South Africa, is a country where compassion and understanding comes as second nature, and caring for the less fortunate is a top priority.  

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Supporting Migrants and Refugees through the Covid-19 crisis

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In response to the growing need, the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town set up a fundraising drive to support those asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants specifically in need during the nationwide lock-down due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Whilst provisions have been put in place by the South African government for some of the most vulnerable members of society, much of the Covid-19 relief is not available to the refugees, asylum-seeker and migrant community.

Money raised will go directly to our Welfare Programme who will assist those migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees who are in most desperate need at this time. All donations will receive an A18 certificate on request which makes the donations tax deductible.

If you would like to make other donations such as food and clothes please contact info@scalabrini.org.za.

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We have reached our target, thank you for everyone's support. As we continue to navigate lockdown and what this means for migrants and refugees the more we raise the more families we can assist during this unprecedented time.

Following the #BlackLivesMatter protest movements in early June 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, our Backabuddy campaign received a spike in donations. Thank you to all those who donated, to support refugees and migrants in South Africa whose lives have become increasingly vulnerable following the pandemic. 

We stand in solidarity with movements calling for justice, reformation and an end to systematic police brutality and racism. Last week, the world witnessed the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in the USA. Meanwhile, in South Africa, the number of deaths in SANDF and SAPS custody under lock-down emerged (which is at least 11, and included two members of South Africa’s migrant/refugee community). Both of these acts of police brutality are the latest in an ugly history of brutality and racist oppression.

We stand in solidarity with #Black_Lives_Matter, in a call for justice and for reformation. We support organisations doing important work in trying to achieve reform in the criminal justice and prisons sector. We support the important work of Lawyers For Human Rights, the Detention Justice Forum, and others, in this regard. We also support and acknowledge the grassroots and community organisations doing this work

Here is a summary of our impact so far with the funds raised.

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Press Release: Scalabrini launches urgent litigation on Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant

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Press Release: Scalabrini launches urgent litigation seeking that the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant is open to asylum seekers and special dispensation permit holders.

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On 22nd May 2020, the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, represented by Norton Rose Fulbright South  Africa Inc, launched urgent litigation in the Pretoria High Court regarding the exclusion of people on asylum-seeker or special-permit status from the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant, which is  only available for a 6 month period from May 2020.

The coronavirus knows no borders, and does not stop to ask for one’s nationality status. Citizens, and foreign nationals in South Africa have been seriously impacted by the National State of Disaster and lockdown. The Covid-19 SRD grant was announced as an emergency measure to try and provide relief for persons not receiving any other form of assistance or income. We are demanding that the SRD Grant be opened to asylum-seekers and special-permit holders, as it is irrational and unreasonable to exclude such persons from being able to apply for the grant solely on the bases of their nationality or immigration status.

The SRD grant

The special Covid-19 SRD grant aims to relieve the distress of those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is open to South African citizens, refugee status holders, and permanent residents only. The SRD grant will be R350 per month, and will be provided from May to October 2020. Under the current Regulations, persons on asylum-seeking status or special-permits cannot apply for the Covid-19 SRD grant.

The court case

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town has expressed, in various joint letters and comments, that an effective approach to combatting Covid-19 must be inclusive. Covid-19 affects people regardless of their nationality: South Africa’s response to it should be the same.

In our papers, we argue that the suffering experienced by asylum-seekers and special-permit holders is particularly severe because:

  • People on asylum-seeker visas that have expired under lockdown often face dismissal from work, no income, and frozen bank accounts;
  • Asylum-seekers and special-permit holders are excluded from the majority of governmental financial relief packages;
  • Many asylum-seekers and special-permit holders are excluded from governmental food parcels as a 13-digit ID number is required to register; and
  • UIF applications for non-South Africans are subject to specific delays, as confirmed by the Department of Labour.

At Scalabrini, we have seen a large surge in requests for help; 1,400 people called in the first eight weeks of lock-down requesting assistance with food, rental or electricity. Many of these are families with children who would usually have benefitted from school feeding programmes. We are asking the Court to confirm that persons with asylum seeker documentation, or special permits, whose documentation was valid at the time the National State of Disaster was declared, be eligible to apply for the Covid-19 SRD grant.

About Scalabrini

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town is an NGO based in Cape Town that provides specialised services for refugee, migrant and South African communities.

Press enquiries

Sally Gandar: Head of Advocacy & Legal Advisor, Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town

sally@scalabrini.org.za

Laura Macfarlane: Associate, Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc

Laura.Macfarlane@nortonrosefulbright.com

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Jonny Zients : All Rounder

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Being an All Rounder, Jonny has walked away with a variety of improved skills and a much deeper understanding of migration in the context of the African continent. Read more about his experience below.

“This is not my first time in South Africa. My mom is from Joburg, and lots of my extended family lives in Cape Town. I have been lucky to come here pretty routinely since I was young, so I have some familiarity with Cape Town. Six weeks in, I definitely feel like I want to live here more permanently at some point in my life. In Cape Town, I feel that I interact with people I don’t know much more frequently. There is a humor and friendliness that I much prefer to the kind of cold, stick-to-oneself attitude that I have gotten used to in DC.

My brother was an all rounder volunteer earlier this year and spoke so highly about his time at Scalabrini. I actually visited him while he was working and was immediately struck by Scalabrini’s breadth of services.  I also was intrigued by the unique opportunity to work with clients in a variety of settings. My previous non-profit volunteer/internship experiences have either been office settings that feel very removed from the beneficiaries of the organization or solely direct service like cooking meals in a food kitchen. Scalabrini feels so tuned into the day-to-day challenges and realities of the individuals and communities that they serve, while providing a sophisticated range of services. I initially noticed, and continue to appreciate, how Scalabrini never turns people away. There is always another service to refer people to, which I think speaks to Scalabrini’s holistic approach.

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“I was then able to craft my own experience by seeing what projects made sense to support.”

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The first ten days or so, it was a bit challenging to find my niche as an all-arounder, but I really appreciated that experience. Ultimately, I think it stretched me and allowed me to get to know each team more organically and what they are doing. I was then able to craft my own experience by seeing what projects made sense to support. Coming in each day and not knowing exactly what I am doing has kept me engaged and required a sense of initiative that I think constantly reminds me why I am here and what I feel passionate about. Being an all-arounder has been really cool: covering reception and moving from program to program has sharpened a variety of skills and given me a nuanced understanding of the full scope of Scalabrini’s mission.

Since joining the Scalabrini Centre, I have sharpened my administrative abilities, practicing making phone calls and entering data as well as learning how to use tools like Salesforce. I have also improved my researching techniques as I got more comfortable with navigating academic papers and UN databases when compiling my country report for SIHMA. Through digital literacy, I learned how to teach. Lastly, I have learned so much about migration — through research, interacting with clients, and speaking with Scalabrini team members, I have deepened my knowledge of the cultural context around inter-African migration and the barriers that asylum seekers and refugees face upon arrival in South Africa.

I start university in September, but have lots of things I want to do before then! I think my experience at Scalabrini has definitely given me a clearer idea of the work environments I will seek out and what I want to do for the rest of my gap year and life. “

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Letter: Open the Social Relief of Distress Grant to all within South Africa – Scalabrini, LHR and CCL

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On 4th May 2020, the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, together with Lawyers for Human Rights and the Centre for Child Law, wrote to the Department of Social Development, SASSA and the Presidency about the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant.

This is a temporary, emergency grant for people who are in urgent material need during the covid-19 pandemic. It seems that this grant is open to SA citizens, people with refugee status, and permanent residents.

We welcome the roll-out of this much-needed grant, and other measures to increase certain SASSA grants at this time. However, in our letter, we urge DSD and SASSA to ensure that all persons are assisted and that there is equal treatment. We urgently asked that the Department of Social Development and SASSA to:

(1) Confirm that all children in South Africa – regardless of their nationality or documentation status in South Africa – are able to receive the emergency food parcels

(2) Explain why certain people (those with asylum seeker status or undocumented persons) are not able to apply to the social relief distress grant and,

(3) provide a detailed plan on how undocumented persons and asylum seekers will be assisted going forward.

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#FarFromHome

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Welcome to our global #FarFromHome series: reflections on covid-19 lockdown from people who are are far from their family and home-country. We hope this brings comfort and reassurance.

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Adam is from Syria, and now lives in Scotland.

What brings you inspiration at this time? In my opinion, I hope that God should always accompany us, so I always hope that everyone will be in excellent health and great psychological well-being.

What characteristics of yourself have you relied on to get through this tough time?
I have discipline built in myself, and discipline is best needed to achieve patience, steadfastness and replace negative energies with positive ones.

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Baba is originally from Sierra Leone. He now lives in Angola.

What brings you inspiration at the moment? My hopes lie at the end of the pandemic. So, let us have faith that all this calamity will end, and our lives will return to normal.

What good qualities has this brought out in you? That I am willing to sacrifice for the good of others.

Has this experience changed your interaction with your neighbours or community? Yes, now we have inspirations of solidarity and unity.

What good qualities has this brought out in you? That I am willing to sacrifice for the good of others.

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Khader is originally from Palestine. He now lives in Greece.

What good qualities has lockdown brought out in you? I have realised that I can create a safer and healthier environment for those around me.

What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation? The difficult times I experienced since my early years in my home country, Palestine, has made me better prepared for this situation.

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Gurmu is originally from Ethiopia, but currently lives in Scotland.

Are you connected to people in your home country? I now spend my time connected to the internet. I equip myself with up to date information, then I share this information with people that need it, like my families and friends back home in Ethiopia.

What is your message to people who are living Far From Home during this time? I have this message for the people who are far from their homeland like me: This is unprecedented time in our life, and for our planet. It is time to think about humanity. Keep your solidarity strong, and look after each other please.

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Heather is originally from South Africa and lives in the United Kingdom.

Has anything brought you hope or inspiration at this time? I have been inspired by way that the planet is healing when there are no humans around, and the community spirit that this crisis has brought to the surface.

What other emotions has this period brought for you? The lockdown has brought me fear – I fear the inability to help if family get sick. I don’t know if I would be able to get there or say goodbye.

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Onacisse is from DRC and lives in South Africa. 

What would be your advice to those people facing difficult situations at this time? The only advice I would give to people going through a rough time is try as much to stay positive, because mental health is very important in times like this. The whole world is going through a big crisis and things keep on getting worse each and every single day. Try as much to stay positive Covid-19 is like a storm that came to destroy a lot of plans and things, but it’s going to pass.  

Is there any other message you would like to send to other people who are living far from their original birthplace during this time? To those living far away from their home country like myself, I communicate with relatives and friends on daily basis I encourage you to do the same. It helps a lot! Thanks to advanced technology which enables us to communicate easily. Check up on family and friends, and appreciate them each every day, it reduces stress especially during this tough time. I hope and believe that one day we will rejoice with our loved ones, because Coronavirus is not going to stay forever. And after this pandemic life is going to change for the better. 

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Marc is from DRC and lives in South Africa

What would be your advice to those people facing difficult situations at this time? It would be difficult to advise people during this time, because we have different goals and expectations – some of us has lost their jobs. But we should be prepared to face any situation, be courageous, determined to cope with the situation as it is, hoping that the better days are coming and be content with what we have.

What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation? I was raised by my single mother after the death of my father. Life became difficult and uncertain for my mom and I, but she taught me how to be content with the little we had, that is how I lived all my childhood. So that good education received from her helps me to deal with difficult situations and unexpected moments of life. 

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Amkelwa is from the Eastern Cape and lives in Paarl

What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation? 

I was able to deal with this situation because of the situation that I grew up with. When I grew up my father was an alcoholic. He used to drink the whole weekend, from Friday to Sunday. When he was drunk he will beat my mother up, and we went to go ask for a place to sleep with our neighbours. Growing up like that has made me strong and I can deal with tough situations. I was the reason why my father has changed and become a better person.  

Thinking about the Covid-19 pandemic, what good qualities has it brought out in you? I would say, I am good at solving problems. The pandemic has brought out the real person that I am, some of the things I have done for other people, I never thought that I would do them for anyone. The thing that made me get through this pandemic is being tough, because if I wasn’t tough and brave, I wouldn’t have made it.  

Has this experience changed your interaction with your neighbours or community? If so, how?  

Yes, I have learnt a lesson that I must always look after my neighbours, because you know when people need your help.  

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Blaise is from DRC and lives in South Africa

What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation?  I understood that life is a mysterious journey. People need to help one another, care for the vulnerable and make the weaker ones stronger.

Thinking about the covid-19 pandemic, what good qualities has it brought out in you? I became more sociable than before. But also thought I must become more economical. I understood that I shouldn’t take my freedom for granted but rather use it constructively and intelligently for the best interest of the community.

Has this experience changed your interaction with your neighbours or community? In my neighborhood things were a little different. More people ignored the danger of the pandemic. Everyone was tired of sleeping or staying indoors. Therefore, people started spending more time outside to enjoy the sun and interacting at the same time. This has given me a strong plot to get to know the neighbors, what they do and what they think…

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Urgent Letter: Scalabrini requests Equal Treatment for Asylum Seekers, Refugees, and Migrants in South Africa’s Covid-19 Responses

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On 25th March 2020, the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town wrote a letter to the South African presidency and several ministers. The letter urges them that migrants, asylum seekers and refugees must be included in the response to the covid-19 pandemic.

The letter sets out concerns around the the differentiation in approaches pertaining to non-citizens depending on whether their documentation is issued in terms of the Immigration Act or the Refugees Act.

This lack of formal response to South Africa’s refugee and migrant community exists despite Ramaphosa’s speeches on the importance of an inclusive, pan-African approach to combating covid-19. In the spirit of these words and the sentiment of inclusion, we urge the National Command Centre and all relevant Ministers to ensure a whole-of-society approach in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic and impacts of the Lockdown.

Our letter therefore makes five main demands:

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(1) The publication of a formal directive or circular  regarding the renewal of asylum seeker and refugee documentation.
(2) The publication of clear guidelines prohibiting the suspension of any service normally provided to an asylum seeker or refugee document holder, where the suspension is the result of the covid-19 lockdown related expiry of such documentation.
(3) The inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the various economic assistance packages, and social relief packages, without discrimination.
(4) The release of clear communication and public statements indicating that non-citizens will not be discriminated against in covid-19 testing, screening and tracing measures, regardless of documentation status.
(5) The reiteration of the need for a moratorium on immigration detention and deportation, as well as deportation related arrests and the processing of deportations at this time.

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Emergency contacts for covid-19 lock-down: posters in your language

Download, share and use our list of useful emergency contacts to keep on hand during covid-19 lock-down – translated into several different languages.

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Scalabrini_centre_cape_town_lockdown_information

Information on the Lock-Down: posters in your language

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What does the lock-down mean for you? This information is copied directly from the South African government. Please share with friends and family online. Take care, don't panic, and look out for each other.

For reliable information on the Covid-19 virus, visit www.sacoronavirus.co.za. We will be updating our Facebook Page with important information relating to Scalabrini's work and affected communities.

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#FarFromHome: Heather

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Welcome to our global #FarFromHome series: reflections on covid-19 lockdown from people who are are far from their family and home-country. We hope this brings comfort and reassurance. We chat to Heather, from South Africa, who lives in the UK.

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What keeps you motivated during lock-down That this time is a gift – it is a time to pause and do the things you have not had time to do. It can be a time to reflect and heal.

Has anything brought you hope or inspiration at this time? I have been inspired by way that the planet is healing when there are no humans around, and the community spirit that this crisis has brought to the surface.

What other emotions has this period brought for you?  The lockdown has brought me fear – of staring death in the face. And the realisation that I have not prepared for death. I also fear the inability to help if family get sick. I don’t know if I would be able to get there or say goodbye.

What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation? I know that I am strong. I know that I am brave and that I can survive.

What good qualities has lockdown brought out in you? During lockdown, I have learnt about my ability to be a good friend.

What characteristics of yourself have you relied on to get through lockdown? The ability to be alone and happy and my ability to adapt to new situations.

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Has this experience changed your interaction with your neighbours or community? Yes, I’ve really been impressed with the way the community have rallied. For example, neighbours are giving each other free masks.

What would be your advice to those people facing loneliness at this time? If you are lonely right now, do something that will give you another perspective, something to lift you out of yourself.

Is there any other message you would like to send to other people who are living far from their original birthplace during this time? Social media and online chat spaces have brought us much closer than we may have been before Coronavirus in many instances. Tap into this phenomenon and make the most of this new age.

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