South African policy on migration and its alignment with the UNO charter on refugee and asylum-seekers

There is an increase in the tide of refugees due mainly to wars and insurgent activities in their home countries. The need for international treaties and agreements such as the United Nations and African Union's convention on refugees and asylum seekers to ensure their protection in the host countries is vital. As a microcosm of globalized effort in this direction, South Africa has engaged with this problem and provides strong support for the work of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. However, certain factors and events seem to point to the fact that the initial levels of support seem to have nosedived in the South African case as a host nation. This article investigates what needs to be done in advocating and lobbying for necessary actions that needs to take place at national and regional levels of South(ern) Africa so that the South African government may enact new or amend existing legislations and policies that promote and protect the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers in the country. This study uses a content analytical framework gleaned from international and local organisations that recognizes and keeps records on refugees and asylum-seekers in South Africa. Through the use of postmodern public administration and compliance based theories, we argue that South Africa though has pledged to maintain compliance with international and constitutional standards for refugee protection, the implementation of its supporting public policies leaves much to be desired.