Migration and African Foreign Nationals Incarcerated at the Westville Correctional Centre, Durban, South Africa

Abstract

This paper is founded on research that was conducted in July 2015 at a maximum-security correctional institution in Westville, Durban, South Africa. It focuses on the impact of incarceration of African (Black) migrants. The current outbreak of xenophobic violence, especially since 2008, supposedly committed by foreign nationals in South Africa, has prompted interest in the number of incarcerated migrants and migration overall. For purposes of this paper interviews were conducted randomly, using a systematic sampling technique with remand foreign nationals incarcerated at the Medium A, Durban Westville Correctional Centre. The experiences of foreign national detainees are recorded in order to augment their opinions to the discussions on crime, migration and xenophobia taking place at micro and macro levels in South Africa.