Abstract
Several media and research studies have reported on police abuse and ill-treatment of undocumented foreigners in South Africa, concluding that xenophobia is a major problem in the SAPS. But how pervasive is xenophobia in the police? Where does it come from and what can be done about it? Based on a survey of police officials in the Johannesburg area, this article examines the phenomenon and attempts to provide some answers.
Highlights
Xenophobia in the police was given a public face in South Africa in 1999 when six white police officials were shown on national television racially assaulting and abusing two illegal immigrants from Mozambique.[1]
Partly because [foreigners] are generally blamed for problems such as unemployment and crime, and because of their marginal and vulnerable status; members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) of all races frequently target black legal and illegal immigrants, for harassment. The extent of this problem is such that South African citizens who appear to be foreign often experience harassment at the hands of the police.[3]
The large numbers of immigrants makes their treatment by state officials an important issue, since the key operational strategy of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the past five years has resulted in the frequent targeting of illegal immigrants for arrest.[4]
Summary
Several media and research studies have reported on police abuse and ill-treatment of undocumented foreigners in South Africa, concluding that xenophobia is a major problem in the SAPS. Partly because [foreigners] are generally blamed for problems such as unemployment and crime, and because of their marginal and vulnerable status; members of the SAPS of all races frequently target black legal and illegal immigrants, for harassment. The extent of this problem is such that South African citizens who appear to be foreign often experience harassment at the hands of the police.[3]. The results of the qualitative research informed the analysis of the survey data
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