“We live, and move, and have our being”: Refugees’ vulnerability and the ecclesial challenge for diaconal praxis

Abstract

Having an identity unconnected to their status is one of the challenges facing refugees. It is a challenge to create an alternative to the definitional context of being and belonging since the refugee phenomenon is arguably the largest migratory movement among all forms of human mobility. In South Africa, refugees often suffer in silence with little or no help even as they go through painful experiences. These and related phenomena pose a practical challenge for theology in South Africa and raise questions on the practice of diakonia in light of the refugee phenomenon. The question could, therefore, be asked: "How can we respond to the growing migratory trend"? This paper demonstrates how the church as an agent of hope can translate the multilayered dynamics of vulnerability experienced by refugees into a diaconal opportunity, so they can be able to say with confidence, for example, in South Africa, "We live, and move, and have our being." The article uses the findings from a recently completed doctoral dissertation on the health and well-being of refugees in Cape Town, South Africa. The data on which this article is based were collected qualitatively through interviews and focus-group discussions and reflects the findings of the doctoral research of the first author.

Refugee migrants as agents of change: Strategies for improved livelihoods and self-reliance

“…It points to the claim of this respondent from Burundi who said that 'living in South Africa is difficult because the local population don't like foreigners' (cf. Msabah & Bowers-Du Toit 2017). One can therefore postulate that such rejections not only increase cases of undocumented migrants in the country but also enhance the likelihood of corruption, as fear of rejection may prompt the refugees to bribe the officials to obtain the document and thereby avoid arrest, detention and deportation.…”

“…Various studies carried out in this domain (see Amit 2013:32-33;Kane & Kane 2013:36;Kiama & Likule 2013:34-35;Msabah & Bowers-Du Toit 2017) indicate that arresting and detaining refugees on the basis of documentation legitimise a variety of unlawful practices and give rise to increased opportunities for bribery. Msabah (2016), in his research on the health and well-being of refugee migrants, finds that proper documentation is essential for refugees to settle and pursue improved livelihoods within the requirements of the law.…”

“…This is because assistance is often reserved for the most vulnerable, the marginalised and the unaccompanied or orphaned children (cf. Msabah & Bowers-Du Toit 2017). Despite the restrictions imposed on refugees, they find many ways to survive and make a living, including performing daily tasks for the informal sector.…”

“…Despite the restrictions imposed on refugees, they find many ways to survive and make a living, including performing daily tasks for the informal sector. Lack of access to the labour market can increase the risk of harmful coping strategies such as survival prostitution, child labour and early or forced marriage (see Msabah 2016Msabah , 2017Msabah & Bowers-Du Toit 2017).…”

“…In view of this, as South Africa seems paralysed by the challenges posed by migratory pressure at its borders, it is time to stop considering refugees in South Africa as victims or problems, and to understand that they can become (or are already) agents of change, from whom will come the solutions that the local community seeks. In South Africa, data from research show that some refugees support one another socially and redefine the approach to the migration issue (Msabah 2016(Msabah , 2017(Msabah , 2018a(Msabah , 2018bMsabah & Bowers-Du Toit 2017). Far from the idea of being a 'burden' or creating a 'crisis', they transform the current situations they face into opportunity: that of enriching themselves with knowledge and skills to help other new refugee seekers who cross the borders to flee war or poverty (Rosenkranz 2013).…”