“They will just act as if you are not there”: Barriers to accessing health and education services for Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa

Background and Objective: South Africa is a regional magnet for foreign migrants, and millions of people illegally cross the border into the country every year. Using Zimbabweans as a case study, the goal of this qualitative analysis is to describe the actual and perceived barriers that migrants face while attempting to access health and education services while in South Africa. Methods: A situational analysis was conducted using data from focus group discussions and semi-structured individual interviews with Zimbabwean migrants. In addition, the analysis used data from key informant interviews with South African service providers and international aid workers, and South African laws and policies towards migrants were also reviewed. Results: Zimbabwean migrants experience great difficultly accessing both heath and education services. While South African policy states that foreign migrants have a right to health care and education, access largely depends on the attitudes and resources of health care workers and school administrators. Access is also further limited by the rampant circulation of misinformation and the perception on the part of Zimbabweans that no one will help them. Actual barriers, xenophobia, and misinformation often interact to reinforce the perception that services are unobtainable, and this hinders some Zimbabweans from even attempting to access services. Conclusion: This limited access to services in South Africa is a violation to human rights and a major public health concern. Several interventions are needed, including increasing migrants' knowledge of the proper procedures necessary to access health and education services and sensitizing service providers to the needs of migrants. However, until more resources are made available to support both domestic and foreign vulnerable populations in South Africa, barriers to accessing services will remain.