Bureaucratic Mismanagement: Understanding Refugees and Asylum Seekers Scapegoating in the Context of Global Policy Shifts and South Africa’s Evolving Approach

Abstract

Rather than addressing the bureaucratic mismanagement causing system overload, there is a prevalent tendency to scapegoat asylum seekers and refugees. This scapegoating motivates the introduction of new legal and policy changes. Consequently, governments, including South Africa, respond by introducing measures that scapegoat migrants instead of strengthening their bureaucratic asylum seeker systems. This chapter, based on an examination of recent policy and legal documents, contends that South Africa’s recent shifts in policy regarding asylum seekers and refugees are indicative of a global trend of restricting the rights of this vulnerable population group. These shifts encompass not only the reduced benefits for applicants but also result from overwhelmed asylum seeker systems. The broader issue highlighted in this chapter is the global perception of migration as a crisis, leading governments worldwide to portray asylum seekers and refugee movements as a crisis. This chapter underscores the need to address this problem, emphasising its impact on asylum seekers, refugees, and international refugee governance systems.