JOHANNESBURG: Rise In Emigration Queries By South African Indian Amid Violence

JOHANNESBURG: Emigration consultants in South
Africa have reported a huge surge in enquiries from South African Indians
following the recent violence and looting that wrecked KwaZulu-Natal province
in July.

The
province is home to about a third of South Africa’s 1.4 million citizens of
Indian origin, largely descended from the first settlers who arrived as
indentured labourers and merchants in 1860.

Nicholas
Avramis of Beaver Canadian Immigration Consultants, an emigration company that
specialises in Canadian applications from South Africa, told the website
businessinsider.co.za that it expects its client base, which was about 10 per
cent Indian until July, to quadruple to 40 per cent before the end of this
year.

Avramis
said there was particular interest from female-headed and extended families
with cash or businesses that can be relocated.

Other
consultants said there was also increased interest in emigration to Australia
and the UK.

“We
believe there is still a huge, huge level of interest in getting out of the
country,” Robbie Ragless, managing director of New World Immigration, told
the website.

There
also appears to be unprecedented enquiries about emigration to mainland Europe,
something previously of little interest in the Indian community, agents said.

The
Indian missions in South Africa could not provide details, but a reliably
informed source said there had been a doubling of enquiries about the OCI
(Overseas Citizenship of India) card after the July unrest.

Highly
popular among overseas Indians, the OCI card provides long term visa free
travel and stay in India and gives the cardholders a host of privileges
normally not given to a foreign national. So far, India has issued about 37.72
lakh OCI Cards.

The
agents emphasised that the enquiries did not necessarily translate into actual
migration, as not everyone who seeks information goes through with it.

“In
terms of the official immigration stats, only time will tell as immigration –
especially business immigration – takes about six to 12 months to
process,” said Avramis.

The
increase in emigration enquiries started following the massive looting and
arson in July when protests about former president Jacob Zuma starting a
15-month sentence for contempt of court degenerated into widespread violence.
He has since been released on medical parole.

Many of
the businesses that were either stripped bare, with even ceilings and counters
carried away, or burnt to the ground, belonged to Indians. Some had stakes in
national or multinational corporations that were affected.

President
Cyril Ramaphosa had called the incident “a failed insurrection”, as
police failed to take action for several days until he called in the army to
quell the unrest.

Tensions
also continue in the greater Durban area between the Indian and Black community
after vigilantes in the mainly Indian suburb of Phoenix killed more than 33
Black people who entered their township during the unrest. Some were reportedly
trying to get to their workplaces in Phoenix.

 The trial of about three men
charged for the alleged murders is continuing, with protests on both sides
occurring daily outside the court.