Providing for the unwanted in a time of crisis: The socio-economic rights of migrant workers in South Africa under covid- 19 pandemic

Abstract

Migrants are amongst the most vulnerable groups in South Africa. They are often subjected to harsh forms of discrimination and excluded from government policy considerations. They have not fared differently under the Covid-19 responses by the government. This is because, while South Africa is a middle-income country, at least half its households struggle to meet their needs, particularly when there are market disruptions. Accordingly, a widely held view is that already sparse government resources cannot be spent on ‘foreigners’ who ‘voluntarily migrated’ to South Africa and ‘take up jobs meant for locals’. Assistance to unemployed migrants is viewed as insensitive to the plight of unemployed citizens who have no access social protection or jobs. Against this backdrop, this chapter assesses the response of the South African government to the socio-economic rights (SERs) of the migrant population. It further interrogates whether the South African government has used best practice labour and humanitarian standards to protect SERs of migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic.