Southern Africa: Zimbabweans test the definition of refugee

"Official responses to Zimbabwean migration in Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique are still premised on this distinction, and so are failing to protect both Zimbabweans and [their own] citizens," noted Zimbabwean Migration into Southern Africa: New Trends and Responses, a report released in early December by the Forced Migration Studies Programme (FMSP) at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Neighbouring countries have been an essential lifeline for thousands of poor Zimbabweans, said Monica Kiwanuka, the main researcher for the report. Those crossing the border were not refugees – most did not even apply for refugee status âEuro" and, given the extent of economic collapse at home, could hardly be considered "voluntary" economic migrants.

"Many Zimbabweans who qualify for refugee status … do not apply for asylum due to the need to move back and forth across borders to support families left behind. They resist the category of refugee, which connotes dependency, and they emphasize their ability to work," Kiwanuka told IRIN.

Source: Africa World News