As South Africa gets ready for the elections this year, 30 years into democracy, it is clear that immigration management will be a major voting factor. South Africa is not alone in this regard.
With nationalism on the rise, so too is xenophobia. At the heart of it is the distribution of economic opportunities, primarily work and small business opportunities. In South Africa, access to public services such as health, education and crime control is also an issue. In the global north, right-wing parties are winning elections by weaponising the issue of immigration.