South Africa: those who descend

While South Africa is now less than a year of its football World Cup (kick-off June 11, 2010), the future is increasingly illegible [1]. Against the backdrop of social tension, the largest economy of the continent up since the end of the year 2008 with its first economic recession since seventeen years. The new urban middle class is adversely affected by its extravagant frenzy ("The Credit Card Diet" by Maya Fisher-French, Mail and Guardian, August 5, 2009). Pretoria hopes that the tournament organized by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) will help alleviate this crisis, failing to support the economic recovery. But for now, 800,000 of the 3.2 million tickets offered for sale were sold, a figure below expectations, we recognize in the business. In South Africa, only 240,000 tickets were purchased. More broadly, the continent is lagging behind, except for Ghana supporters ("2010 ticket sales slow in Africa", by Wendell Roelf, Reuters, July 30, 2009). The African tifosi will, in addition to the entry ticket to the game, submit a return ticket to their country of origin, and state their address during their stay.

Sub-Saharan Africa may find itself a minority in the aisles, which are largely occupied by British and American fans. It will, however, the majority around the stadiums. While between 3 and 5 million Continental would already installed illegally on the territory of South Africa, some fear that the approach in 2010 still ratcheting up these flows. The government of Mr. Jacob Zuma plans to spend 102 million euros to prevent an influx of illegal immigrants from trying their luck in the shadow of the World.

However, Darshan Vigneswaran, specialized in migration issues at the University of Witwatersrand, said that the strengthening of border controls will not prevent men and women descended from the North to rally the nine cities where the matches will be held qualification for the final ("World Cup" could lead to migrant influx, "Agence Sapa, 23 July 2009). The researcher noted that it is indeed easy for migrants, like many Zimbabweans who are already paying bribes bribes across yet "officially" the Limpopo river border at Beitbridge to "pay" their way to South Africa. A recent trip along the borders of South Africa, as part of a report to be issued for Geo magazine, reveals that corruption is indeed common among government officials stationed in the main doors the nation rainbow. The porous 3,500 km of files between the richest country in the continent's southern African neighbors, the former front line, contributed as much to facilitate the migration.

Africa is another victim, much less media, the current economic crisis. The tightening of access to Schengen area and the signatories of the Euro-Mediterranean pact makes more and more difficult access to "dream" of Europe. Deteriorating living conditions and increased closure of the Old Continent are now they are just young Zimbabweans, Mozambicans and Congolese converging on the "mirage" Southern. Behind the Nigerians, already strong presence in central Johannesburg, there is an increase in migrants from West Africa, both Cameroonian and Ghanaian.

In one of his last reports, the International Organization for Migration (IOM - "In Pursuit of the Southern Dream: Victims of Necessity," June 23, 2009) examines another phenomenon of illegal immigration. Passing through the refugee camps (Kenya's Refugee city ", BBC Africa, August 5, 2009) before using the hub of the ghetto of Eastleigh in Nairobi, Somali but Ethiopian migrants, then began a perilous descent to the south. It was organized by smugglers who may take up to 2000 dollars. Avoiding the direct overland route through Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique, these men follow "true labyrinths through Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe." According to the IOM, "up to 20,000 Ethiopian migrants and Somali men are smuggled into South Africa.