Identification of Various Dimensions and Indicators of Immigrant Integration Into Global Scenarios

Integration of immigrants is at the forefront of policy concerns in many countries. Simultaneously, there is an increasing focus on the role of the receiving society for achieving a higher degree of integration of immigrants. In recent decades, the successful integration of immigrants into a host country's society, economy, and polity has become a major issue for policymakers. For social cohesion and inclusive growth and the ability of migrants to become self-reliant, productive citizens the integration of immigrants and of their children is vibrant. This chapter identifies various dimensions and indicators involved in integration of immigrants into a host society. There are always concerns about successful integration; however, this is not determined solely by the actions immigrants take and the resources they possess. The reception—supportive, neutral, or negative—they receive from the host community plays a critical role. In this direction, this chapter also highlights various challenges and gaps that are involved in immigrant integration.

Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Africa

This chapter enriches the knowledge base on immigrant entrepreneurship and outlines the critical role immigrant entrepreneurs play in socio-economic settings of African communities. It particularly investigates the contributions of immigrant entrepreneurship to Zambia's economic development. The chapter is anchored on the embedded mixed theory and an African humanist philosophy of Ubuntu. It tries to change the perception of the native citizens towards immigrants as such, avert the social challenges that immigrants encounter in host countries such as xenophobia or afrophobia. By employing a qualitative methodology approach, the chapter argues that immigrant entrepreneurs have had a positive impact on Zambia's socio-economic development through the creation of jobs, transfer of skills and competences. The chapter recommends that immigrant entrepreneurship should be supported and mainstreamed into national economic development policies of African countries.

Ethnicity, Tribalism, and Xenophobia in a South African Rural-Based University

The South African government has lobbied institutions of higher learning to recruit academics from across Africa to address the challenge of shortage of skills. Some universities have indeed exploited this opportunity. However, it has emerged that these nationals get to face unbearable anti-social behavior from the locals. Among others, these expatriates contend incidences of tribal-ethnic tensions and xenophobia. Multiple theories were adopted to assist the analysis. The results revealed that there was evidence of tribalism, ethnicity, and incited xenophobia at this university. Furthermore, the study found that the acts of tribalism and ethnicity cut across the university community. The study revealed that deaneries and departments reflected ethnic-tribal orientations depending on the tribes of the respective incumbents in those sections. The university should recognise that it has become a space of cultural diversity where people should be recognized outside the ethnic and tribal framework of locality.

How Apartheid Education Encouraged and Reinforced Tribalism and Xenophobia in South Africa

Apartheid like colonialism was anchored on the divisions of African people according to ethnic and tribal orientations among others. The idea of the South African apartheid government was to build tribal exceptionalism and superiority which would make one tribe feel more superior than the other. A Zulu would feel better human than a Sotho, while a Venda would feel the same over a Tsonga, for example. This is a qualitative desktop study investigating how apartheid education was used to fuel tribalism and xenophobia in South Africa.

Migration, Globalization, and Xenophobia in Africa

Globalization integrates the whole world into a global village. The opening up of economies to international trade is expected to lead to growth and poverty reduction. However, the benefits of globalization have been disproportionately skewed towards developed economies. Despite opening its economies to foreign goods and integrating to the global market, Africa remains the poorest region in the world. Xenophobia in Africa has particularly been a major concern as African migrants within the continent have been experiencing various forms of hostilities and xenophobic attacks. Many authors agree that globalization and economic inequality contribute to this trend. This chapter analyzes from an Afrocentric perspective, the various social, economic, and historical context in which globalization and other European capitalist quests in Africa affect migration pattern in the continent and contribute to xenophobia in Africa. This chapter provides an Afrocentric critique of the idea of globalization which mainly promotes free trade and capital but restricts the movement of African labour.

Bewitched?

This chapter explores the modern organization of Africa as a continent. It uses Yves Mudimbe's representation of colonial organizations. The chapter argues that a collision of modern material individualism with the African perspective of 'the wealth in people,' appears as 'witchcraft' where an African picks up weapons to kill another in the name of autochthon versus a stranger. The answer to the impasse between Western capitalism and African integration is in delving in both in a manner that critiques and affirms to provoke further thoughts towards a lasting solution.

Immigration Is a Nucleus of Economic Development in Africa

This chapter demystifies the world view that holds that immigration is motivated by poor people who become the burden to the host countries. It has unearthed that poverty is just a manifestation of a bigger issue which is underdevelopment. Underdevelopment causes migration because the livelihood has been colonised and neo-colonialism continues doing that to this date. This underdevelopment gave rise to poverty, unemployment, inequality, and poor governance. Therefore, immigration is hugely influenced by underdevelopment. Migrants carry along entrepreneurship skills which they also transfer to host countries. However, they also face challenges in the host countries such as discrimination in the allocation of resources such as health and education. The host citizens fear the competition from the new people who have arrived in their country. The African Union should discuss the development of the continent and resolve the underdevelopment through the natural resources the continent has instead of taking it to Europe to perpetuate the notion of underdevelopment.

The Influence of Political Rhetoric on the Evolution of Xenophobia in Africa

Xenophobia is historically an old phenomenon in Africa. It has had numerous causes. Political rhetoric has been cited as one of the causes of xenophobia. Franz Fanon predicted in 1968 that Africa would sink into acts of xenophobia at some stage post-liberation. Fanon's prediction was fulfilled when President Kofi Busia of Ghana expelled Nigerian nationals from Ghana in 1969. This chapter used qualitative desktop approach to investigate how political rhetoric influenced the evolution of xenophobia in Africa. Political posturing and grandstanding of political elite and government bureaucrats encouraged xenophobia among locals. This action impedes efforts to eradicate xenophobia in Africa. It is possible for Africa to defeat xenophobia, and to also emerge out of its impact. The state should cooperate with other stakeholders to find a long-lasting solution to xenophobia. Political elite and government bureaucrats should desist from inciting the public for xenophobia. Irresponsible political rhetoric encouraging hatred of one people by the other should be punishable by law.

Xenophobia Is a Foreign Manifestation

This chapter has argued that South Africa is not xenophobic contrary to media and some scholars' opinions. It has been shown that xenophobia is not only about hatred to foreign nationals but that foreign nationals collude with national ones in forming rival groups to compete for economic gains. This dispels the theory that the country is xenophobic since hatred and fear are not easy to measure. It also offered that contrary to the theory that migration gives rise to xenophobia with movements of the people crossing borders, the real cause of migration in this case is underdevelopment that followed the occupation of the continent by the European countries. The borders they imposed were designed to divide and rule the continent, and Africa must resolve the border issue, the land issue; teach the history of the continent; and hold festivals with SADC countries to show the unity of the continent. The African Union should have a permanent agenda issue on the unity of the continent.

Community Engagement as a Strategy to Facilitate the Immigrant-Local Cohesion

The hostility directed towards immigrants has been studied and reported through various forms of media and literature. Similarly, mitigating factors have been explored to establish and restore peace and immigrant-local cohesion. The chapter explored different community engagement strategies implemented to enhance immigrant-local cohesion. The chapter is anchored on Ubuntu philosophy. The philosophy has been integrated with the evolution of immigration and different policies and guidelines to promote and protect immigrants' lives globally. Data have been analyzed through critical discourse analysis. Critical discourse analyses assisted in deconstructing hegemonic social practices such as social practices, language, texts, and constructs as social-cohesion facilitators. Conclusions are that social constructs can create and perpetuate acceptance, integration, and formation of networks to enhance positive relationships between migrants and locals.