Do immigrants cause crime?
Although the media and the police paint immigrants as evil criminals,
the facts show that immigrants are hardly ever involved in crime. In
1996, only 257 Mozambicans, 65 Zimbabweans and 94 people from Lesotho
were arrested for criminal offences.
Many people are wrong when they think that Zairians and Nigerians
are involved in drug smuggling. In 1996, only 1 Zairian and 7
Nigerians were arrested for drug dealing.
The real crime is the savage exploitation of immigrants on the
farms and other industries. Many immigrants are not even paid- when
it comes to pay day the fat cat boss calls the police and has the
workers deported.
The real crime is the racist Aliens Control Act. Between 1988 and
1993, the apartheid regime deported 96,600 immigrants. But in 1996
alone, the new government deported 180,713 people.
We must oppose reactionary organisations like the Greater
Johannesburg Hawkers' Planning Committee, which are trying to drive
poor immigrant vendors off the streets of Johannesburg. Organise the
immigrants into the trade unions! Unite immigrants and South African
workers into a common struggle for jobs and freedom! Workers of the
world unite and fight the bosses!
Source of figures: SA Labour Bulletin, article by Busani Selabe
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