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Migration in Namibia: a country profile 2015

M
igration in N

am
ibia A

CO
U

N
TRY PRO

FILE 2015

International Organization for Migration (IOM)
17 route des Morillons, P.O. Box 17, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland

Tel.: +41 22 717 9111 " Fax: +41 22 798 6150
E-mail: hq@iom.int " Website: www.iom.int

Migration in Namibia
A COUNTRY PROFILE 2015

The opinions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations
employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply expression
of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM concerning legal status of any country,
territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries.

IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants
and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the
international community to: assist in the meeting of operational challenges of migration;
advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development
through migration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

Publisher: International Organization for Migration
17 route des Morillons
P.O. Box 17
1211 Geneva 19
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 22 717 9111
Fax: +41 22 798 6150
E-mail: hq@iom.int
Website: www.iom.int

_____________________________________________________

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.

20_16

Migration in Namibia

A COUNTRY PROFILE 2015

Prepared by

Marius Olivier
Consultant; Director: Institute for Social Law and Policy (ISLP); Extraordinary

Professor: Faculty of Law, Northwest University, Potchefstroom, South Africa;
Adjunct-Professor: Faculty of Law, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

Publisher: International Organization for Migration
17 route des Morillons
P.O. Box 17
1211 Geneva 19
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 22 717 9111
Fax: +41 22 798 6150
E-mail: hq@iom.int
Website: www.iom.int

_____________________________________________________

20_16

iiiMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

FOREWORD

The Government of the Republic of Namibia and the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) are pleased to release the countrys first
Migration Profile, prepared under the guidance of the Technical Working Group
chaired by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAI).

Migration Profiles were initially proposed by the European Commission in
the Communication on Migration and Development in 2005, and conceived as
a concise statistical report to understand the migration situation in a particular
country. Since the first Migration Profiles in 2006, IOM has supported their
development in more than 40 countries around the world. Over time, they
have undergone considerable transformation in format, content and objectives.
Migration Profiles are more than just statistical reports. They result from an
elaborate process involving consultations with many different actors in an effort
to help identify and develop strategies to address data gaps and produce the
evidence required to inform policies. In short, a Migration Profile is a government-
owned tool, prepared in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, which
can be used to enhance policy coherence, evidence-based policymaking and the
mainstreaming of migration into development plans.

The decision to produce a National Migration Profile for Namibia was
primarily driven by the decision to develop a comprehensive national migration
policy that would address the complex migration dynamics that Namibia faces
as a country of origin, transit and destination. Although data on migration exists
across a wide range of ministries, departments and agencies, it remains scattered
and of limited use for policymaking purposes. Through the development of this
Migration Profile for Namibia, the MHAI and IOM have managed to consolidate
data into one comprehensive document. The Migration Profile includes statistics
and insights on trends and characteristics of migration in Namibia, the impact of
migration on socioeconomics, political and health aspects of migration within
the country, and existing governance frameworks. This will feed into migration
initiatives currently in motion to enhance coordination within the government.

In order to remain an effective information tool for policymaking, this
Migration Profile for Namibia will be updated regularly and used throughout the
entire policy development process. It must also be used to mainstream migration
into national development frameworks, strategies and plans, as well as enhance
data collection and management systems in the country.

iv Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

We would like to take this opportunity to express our most profound
appreciation to the expert, Professor Marius Olivier, for drafting the Migration
Profile; the MHAI-led Technical Working Group for providing valuable inputs
and insights into it at all stages; the IOM Regional Office for Southern Africa
for providing its technical expertise; the IOM Research Unit at Headquarters
for reviewing and editing the Migration Profile, the IOM Office in Namibia for
coordinating the process and the IOM Development Fund for its generous
financial support.

Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, MP Rafaëlle Robelin
Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration Head of Office a.i.
Government of the Republic of Namibia International Organization for
Migration, Namibia

vMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Source: www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/namibia-political-map.htm

POlitical maP OF Namibia

viiMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

ExEcutivE SummaRy

Part A: Aims and structure of migration profile

Migration Profiles are country-owned tools, prepared in consultation with
a broad range of government and non-government stakeholders, which can
be used to enhance policy coherence, evidence-based policymaking and the
mainstreaming of migration into development planning. This profile relies on
national and international data sources and data sets.

Part B: Overview of the international and national data
framework

Reliable international migration data concerning Namibia are hard to find
and difficult to verify. Included in this regard are data involving migration into and
from Namibia, as well as migration through Namibia (such as in the event where
Namibia is used as a temporary entry and exit country for human smuggling or
trafficking purposes). It could be that the unavailability of certain national data
and the inaccessibility of other available national data are contributing to this
state of affairs.

International data sources emanate from the World Bank, International
Organization for Migration (IOM) and United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs (UN DESA). These sources are not always consistent. UN DESA
figures indicate the fluent nature and fluctuating trend of Namibian migration,
assumingly caused by the significant impact that migration flows may have on a
country with such a small population. For example, whereas UN DESA recorded
that the international migration stock in Namibia constituted 8.9 per cent in
1990, this figure has moved down to 2.2 per cent in 2013.

As far as national data sources are concerned, the Namibia Statistics
Agency (NSA) was established in 2012 as the lead statistical institution in
Namibia. The NSA is primarily responsible for national and household censuses
and surveys. Some but limited data concerning migration facts, figures and
trends are contained in some of the census and survey reports. Both expansion
and adaptation are foreseen. The NSA published a Migration Report in 2015,
which provides information on internal and to a lesser extent international
migration covering both lifetime and short-term migrants based on the 2011
Namibia Population and Housing census.

viii Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Part c: the Namibian migration context: Socioeconomic
indicators and migration perspectives

Socioeconomic indicators

While Namibia has made good progress in relation to socioeconomic
developments, also steadily increasing growth and ensuring the general decline
of poverty, inequality and unemployment remain key challenges. For certain
segments of Namibian society, and in certain regions of the country, however,
poverty levels remain high. According to the latest census data, most people
in Namibia live in rural areas (57%). Significantly, between 2001 and 2011, the
urban population grew by a staggering 49.7 per cent, and the rural population
shrank by 1.4 per cent.

The 2013 Labour Force Survey puts the number of workers in Namibia
at around 690,000, of which some 324,000 form part of the informal economy.
Almost 450,000 people were reported as being inactive (56.2% of them were
female).

Namibia is regarded as an upper-middle-income country. However, while
there has been a significant improvement in certain areas (for example, the
poverty head count went down from 69.3 per cent in 1994 to 28.7 per cent in
2009; the gender divide has also narrowed), improvements are needed as regards
certain indicators in particular Namibias Human Development Index ranking
and its relatively high Gini coefficient (measuring inequality). It is estimated that
the increase in urbanization has had a minimal effect on the overall change in
total poverty rates.

The country has registered mixed progress towards health-related
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, health care remains a top
government priority, receiving increasingly higher spending; although at 12.2
per cent of the national budget in 2014/15, it still falls short of the target of 15
per cent set by African Union countries in their 2001 Abuja Declaration.

migration perspectives

The Namibian migration context has to be understood against the
background of global, African, Southern African Development Community
(SADC) and the Namibian developments. Globally, southsouth migration
(that is, migration among developing countries) has increased significantly,
while remittances have gained in importance. The newly adopted Sustainable

ixMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Development Goals contain several direct and indirect references to migration,
its values and challenges.

In the African context, several drivers of migration have influenced the
extent and nature of migration. Unemployment is one of the main contributing
factors to mixed migration flows, irregular migration, human trafficking and
smuggling, but also regularized labour migration. In SADC, these and other
factors, among which climate-related drivers of migration, have contributed to
90 per cent of SADC citizens migrating for work within the SADC region. Labour
migration in SADC has had a long history; remittances play a crucial role as
regards household survival and economic development.

Independence of Namibia brought with it considerable changes in the
internal migration patterns and population concentrations in the country. On
the one hand, migratory labour to South Africa all but ceased, yet, on the other
hand, internal migration and urbanization grew rapidly. The key dimensions of
Namibian migration can be listed as including the following:

" High level of internal (ruralurban) migration;
" Cross-border movement for family reasons, economic opportunities and

potential employment, better living conditions and access to services;
" Irregular migration, trafficking and smuggling;
" Regulation of movement;
" Refugees and asylum-seekers intake;
" Impact of rapid urbanization;
" Spaces of health vulnerabilities;
" Migration and the HIV epidemic;
" Strengthening the migration management system; and
" Disasters and climate change adaptation.

Part D: migration trends and characteristics

Arrivals, departures, travel and tourism

Administrative data related to arrivals by foreign tourists and visitors
are collected at Namibian border posts by the Ministry of Home Affairs and
Immigration (MHAI) and indicate the relatively high percentages of those who
migrate for holiday, business and family reasons. The 2014 World Travel and
Tourism Council Report on Namibia notes that the long-term tourism growth
(20142024) figures (9.1%) place Namibia within the range of the top-ranking
countries in the world.

x Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

immigration

Limited data are available in relation to immigrants, partly as a result of a
lack of digitilization and inaccessibility of data emanating from the Aliens Control
System (data in relation to work permits and work visa applications) and the
Citizenship Automation System.

Border management provides several challenges in the Namibian context,
flowing from the porous nature of the borders and the sheer extent of border
crossings between, for example, Namibia and Angola. This led to the conclusion
of a bilateral agreement, already in 1996, between the Government of Namibia
and the Government of Angola on the introduction of a border resident card
(BRC) between the two countries.

Several measures of a data nature are required to give effect to the
envisaged BRC system. These measures require a high degree of cross-border
cooperation, the streamlining of information technology systems and legislative
changes, to the extent required.

Data emanating from the Population and Housing census are of limited
value as regards immigrants to Namibia, as the data in this regard could not be
properly obtained.

The NSAs Migration Report suggests fairly significant differences between
citizens and (in favour of) non-citizens as regards education attainment and
employment status. There are a few thousand foreign students, but a relatively
high number of foreign teachers.

In relation to migration, health and well-being, the Namibia Human Rights
Action Plan 20152019 lists as a key shortcoming cross-border health issues not
receiving adequate attention for border towns. Health-related data concerning
internal and external migrants are hard to find. It was intended to develop a
Namibia Migration and Health Promotion Strategy this, however, would need
to be informed by appropriate data in relation to access to health services
by internal and external migrants. The World Health Organization (WHO)
confirmed that it is in principle supporting the Government of Namibia with the
strengthening of a Health Information System. An inventory has been conducted
on health services facilities by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)
in 2012, but the information is not available and is reported to be outdated.

xiMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Namibia has a history of extending protection to refugees. By September
2015, Namibia was hosting 2,914 refugees and asylum-seekers. An additional
number of 1,742 former refugees from Angola are awaiting local integration. The
aim is to reduce the number of refugees and asylum-seekers in Namibia through
resettlement and local integration. Refugees are settled in Osire Refugee Camp.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicated its
intention to phase out from Namibia as it has attained the objective of reaching
its ultimate goal in Namibia, namely to find durable solutions for the refugees.

Cross-border flows of internally displaced people may have migration
implications and need to be dealt with in coordinated fashion relying, among
others, on the principles developed within the framework of the so-called
Nansen Initiative aiming to build consensus among States about how best to
address cross-border displacement in the context of sudden- and slow-onset
disasters. It has been indicated that environmental-induced disasters have
affected border areas as well, involving people across the Namibian, Angolan
and Zambian borders.

Emigration

Data on emigration of Namibians are insufficient, as far as both national
and international sources are concerned. Data in connection with emigrants,
although requested in the census form associated with the National Population
and Housing Census, could not be sufficiently cleaned up due to the inadequacy
of the responses. The Electoral Commission of Namibia keeps some information
relating to Namibians who registered and voted abroad.

The main international data source on trends in international migrant
stock, as far as emigration is concerned, is that of UN DESA. Several conclusions
can be drawn from the data provided by UN DESA, such as the following:

" Feminization of Namibian migration;
" Significant increase in overall numbers of emigrants;
" African and Southern African countries are the priority destination; and
" Incomplete data.

There is no legal, policy, institutional or operational framework for
(Namibian) diaspora engagement existing officially in Namibia. To the extent
that could be determined, mapping of the Namibian diaspora has never been
undertaken. There appear to be some Namibian diaspora associations operating
in other parts of the world; however, the Government of Namibia has yet to
develop a framework to formally include the diaspora.

xii Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

There is no known available national data source on remittance inflows
and outflows. There is further no regulatory framework in place, which deals with
the cost of remittance transfers. There is therefore no reflection on remittances
in the most recent (2014) Annual Report of the Bank of Namibia. However, some
progress has been made at the SADC level to develop a SADC-wide framework
for collecting remittance data as part of cross-border reporting systems.

From the available information, it is clear that both the total of formal
remittances received and the share of gross domestic product (GDP) constituted
by remittances are generally low and trending downwards. Much needs to be
done to develop an official remittance framework for Namibia and raise the
contribution this could be making to the economy and the development of the
country.

Currently, Namibia does not have a legal, policy, institutional or operational
framework informing labour exporting, although introducing labour exporting
as a medium- to long-term objective is being proposed and supported by the
Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation (MLIREC).
The Government of Namibia seeks to establish an interministerial coordination
mechanism in which various relevant ministries, agencies and organizations are
represented and gain a greater understanding of the current labour migration
situation and needs within Namibia. It is envisaged that the interministerial
coordination mechanism will also contribute to the development of skills
to continue providing information on labour migration in order to build a
comprehensive approach to policymaking.

Irregular migration

No official national or international statistics on irregular migration
could be detected in the course of preparing the Migration Profile. MHAI made
available annual information on irregular migrants arrested and deported or
issued with a 48-hour notice.

Actual data on the extent of human trafficking and smuggling are difficult
to obtain. A 2013 report commissioned by the Government of Namibia, which
might help to shed light on actual figures, has not yet been released. Contextual
information may be of some assistance to understand some of the nature
and scope of the issues involved. Human trafficking in or involving Namibia
is a matter that has attracted considerable international concern. In the 2015
United States Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report),
Namibia is (again), for the fourth consecutive year, listed as a Tier 2 Watch List

xiiiMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

country. In its recent evaluation of Namibias country report on compliance with
the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),
the relevant UN Committee entrusted with monitoring compliance with the
Convention, noted the first criminal conviction in 2015 involving a case of
human trafficking. However, the Committee expressed its concern that Namibia
remained a source and destination country of trafficking in human beings, in
particular women and girls, mainly for purposes of forced labour and sexual
exploitation.

Some groups of children remain vulnerable, without documentation,
including unaccompanied and refugee children and undocumented rural
poor children in families moving to cities. In particular, note should be taken
of developments at the regional (SADC) level and commitments made in this
regard by the Government of Namibia.

An in principle related matter concerns the situation of undocumented
minors who face the risk of statelessness. The Government of Namibia reported
that it had conducted the National Child Activities Survey in 2005 to address
the lack of updated socioeconomic data on the activities of Namibias child
population. However, while the survey noted the widespread extent of child
labour in Namibia, it contained only limited information about migrant children
generally and non-Namibian children specifically.

Internal migration

The NSAs Migration Report concludes that internal migration appears
to be common in Namibia, as elsewhere in Africa. Namibia experiences a
significant measure of short-term population mobility. Furthermore, internal
migration varies across regions, a phenomenon that relates partly to the
urbanization drive. The age selective for migrants is different when compared
to the age pyramid for non-migrants that is, middle-age population is more
likely to migrate than younger and older groups. Urbanization is an important
phenomenon in Namibia. According to the Migration Report, a large portion
of migration involves that from rural to urban areas, with major implications
in terms of access to land, and health and development challenges. Also, the
labour force participation rate is higher for migrants than non-migrants due to
main motives for migrating being work.

There are obvious links between migration, disasters and disaster
resilience. In order to respond to the challenges of natural disasters, such as flood
and drought, several efforts have been undertaken to strengthen the disaster
risk management system in both Namibia and certain other SADC countries in
the past years, and enhance national resilience to disasters.

xiv Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Part E: the impact of migration

Population change

Namibias population in 2041 is projected to be 3.44 million, growing from
a base of 2.11 million, that is, a growth rate of 63 per cent. However, there is
substantial variation in expected changes within Namibia, due in large measure
to the assumptions that recent patterns of migration will continue into the figure.
From 2011 to 2041, rural areas are expected to shrink gradually, while the share
of population living in urban areas is projected to increase from 43 per cent in
2011 to 67 per cent in 2041. Over this period, the urban population is expected
to more than double while the rural population will gradually shrink.

Migration and development

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
there is a range of evidence about the positive impacts of migration on human
development (that is, putting people at the centre of development), through
such avenues as increased household incomes and improved access to education
and health services. There is further evidence that migration can empower
traditionally disadvantaged groups, particularly women. However, at the same
time, risks to human development are also present where migration is a reaction
to threats and denial of choice, and where regular opportunities for movement
are constrained.

In 2006, the African Union adopted two overarching African Union
frameworks on migration, which both concern the debate on mainstreaming
migration for developmental purposes the African Union Migration Policy
Framework for Africa (AUMPF) and the African Common Position on Migration
and Development of 2006.

Economic development

Globally, the evidence reveals that remittance income in developing
countries that provides a stable flow of income is exceeded only by foreign direct
investment, and exceeds donor and capital market flows. Despite temporary
fluctuations, remittances remain a primary source of household income in
migrant-sending countries. International migrants hold significant savings
in their destination countries. Future inflows of remittances can be used as
collateral to facilitate international borrowings by national banks in developing
countries. Remittances can also facilitate access to international capital markets

xvMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

by improving sovereign ratings and debt sustainability of recipient countries. In
a recent development, rating agencies have started accounting for remittances
in country credit ratings.

In Africa, it is clear that little has been done to improve and extend the
banking system to assist with the flow of remittances, despite the fact that the
fees for monetary transfers within Africa could be quite substantial in many
cases well above 10 per cent of the principal amount.

The value of the diaspora for the development and benefit not only of the
country of destination, but also the country of origin, is increasingly appreciated.
The value lies among others in the transfer of knowledge and skills, investments
and the transfer of remittances. It is for this reason that governments, including
governments in Africa, have gone to great lengths to establish legal, policy,
institutional and operational frameworks to recognize, support, engage with and
utilize diaspora for the development of the countries concerned. No legal, policy,
institutional or operational framework exists in Namibia to include the diaspora
in development in Namibia.

The value of tourism needs to be understood from the perspective of its
importance for the development of Namibia, as well as in the policy domain. The
tourism sector has been identified as the fastest-growing industry in Namibia,
considering its contribution towards GDP. It has also been identified as a strategic
sector in the National Development Plan 4 (NDP4) with promise for growth and
job creation by the Government of Namibia. The 2014 World Travel and Tourism
Council Report on Namibia also refers to the economic impact of tourism, with
particular reference to the value of travel and tourism to GDP, employment in
Namibia and exports from and investment in Namibia.

Employment, labour market and skills development

Migration, and therefore the availability of reliable data (including
migration data) can contribute significantly to skills development in Namibia.
The key importance of job creation, also as a measure to address ruralurban
migration, already appears from two of Namibias foundational documents,
namely Vision 2030 and NDP4. Large-scale structural unemployment in Namibia
necessitates serious investment in skills development and job creation. The
Government of Namibia has invested heavily in among others vocational
training, supported by the compulsory imposition of a skills levy. This needs to
be accompanied by a diversification of economic activity focus, away from a
reliance primarily on agriculture and mineral extraction to manufacturing and

xvi Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

the service sector. In this way, there would be less need to rely on migration as
a way to secure an income.

Several activation policies have been introduced by Namibia to bring
jobless people from unemployment or inactivity into work, or at the very least,
to influence the employment prospects of the unemployed positively through
activities, such as training, including on-the-job training, private sector incentive
programmes, including wage subsidies and job-search efficiency services that
provide job search assistance, vocational guidance and placement services.
Mention should also be made of the newly established Employment Services
Division of the MLIREC, focused on job-seekers registration, aiming to get
people placed in jobs and boasting a computerized Integrated Employment
Information System for purposes of registration. While over 50,000 people have
been registered in this manner, under 2,000 people were placed during 2014/15.

Social development

Consideration of the age demographic of migrants in Namibia (with lifetime
migrations being most likely for people between ages 2559 and short-term
migration likelihood highest at ages 2034) supports the view that employment
and occupation are key drivers of internal migration. It must also be noted that
people in Namibia living in rural areas, or in female-headed households or
households headed by persons without formal education or reliant on pensions
or subsistence farming are more likely to be living in poverty. NSAs Migration
Report notes that in Namibia, little is known whether this influx of migration
to urban areas is helping to boost economic growth or contributing to poverty.
Urbanization is an important phenomenon in Namibia. According to the report,
a large portion of migration involves that from rural to urban areas, with major
implications in terms of access to land, and health and development challenges.

Namibias population density has been noted as a complicating factor in
respect of service delivery, as well as in the context of social benefit provisioning.

The WHO noted that while urbanization brings along development
and other good opportunities, it is also associated with health challenges,
such as overcrowding, pollution, poor sanitation, unhealthy lifestyles and all
these factors contribute to poor health for citizens of a country. These harsh
conditions are reflected in the Namibia urbanization environment and likely to
have more impact on the economic and social development of shack dwellers
in the informal settlements. Two recent studies on the health vulnerabilities of
migrants and mobile populations in three informal settlements in Windhoek

xviiMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

and in Walvis Bay have confirmed the vulnerable health context of certain
migrant communities.

Migration variables are considered by MOHSS in its programming for
HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. Yet it has been noted that there is the need to
improve data on health and migration to mobilize for increased research studies
on migrants health and migration-related issues and increase advocacy. Also,
support should be mobilized to strengthen the sustainability of sector-based
workplace health programmes that are migrant inclusive covering all spaces of
vulnerability. These are matters also to be considered within the framework of
the Partnership on Health and Mobility in East and Southern Africa (PHAMESA) II
programme that is, the programme that focuses on four spaces of vulnerability:
transport corridors, mixed migration routes, urban settings and the extractive
industry.

The state of health and social well-being in Namibia is a matter of national
importance. The Government of Namibia aims at the attainment of a level of
health and social well-being by all Namibians, so that economically and socially
productive lives may be led. Despite the stated focus, a range of shortcomings in
respect of health delivery in the country have been identified in among others
the Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (2013), including the
following:

(a) Shortage of health professionals, including allied health professionals,
partly caused by inadequate levels of training and lack of incentives;

(b) The quality of patient care in public health facilities in Namibia is below
par;

(d) Quality of public health facilities, with many facilities, such as hospitals,
clinics and health centres being dilapidated and in decay; and

(e) Status of available medical equipment and infrastructure.

Environment

xviii Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Namibia has been actively involved in the global climate change debate
and committed itself to adopting appropriate measures, policies and strategies
to deal with the adverse impact of climate change.

Part F: migration governance

Policy framework

Vision 2030 is also designed to promote the creation of a diversified,
open-market economy, with a resource-based industrial sector and commercial
agriculture, placing particular emphasis on skills development. In particular, the
main objectives of Vision 2030 include accelerating the process of job creation
by increasing support for small- and medium-scale enterprises, including the
creation of thousands of jobs. To achieve its vision, a series of seven five-year
National Development Plans is envisaged, focusing particularly on reviving
and sustaining economic growth, reducing inequality, creating employment,
eradicating poverty, promoting gender equality and equity, reducing regional
inequalities, ensuring environmental sustainability and combating HIV/AIDS.

NDP4 is a high-level plan, leaving the detailed programmes on how to
achieve the various NDP4 goals and targets to the various offices, ministries and
agencies responsible, whose plans will be scrutinized by the National Planning
Commission (NPC). NDP4 emphasizes employment creation, among others, as a
measure to mitigate ruralurban migration. NDP has adopted three overarching
goals:

(a) High and sustained economic growth;

(b) Increased income equality; and

Other policies are also relevant to the migration context, while several
laws affect the migration context.

xixMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

As noted in Namibias National Human Rights Action Plan 20152019,
it is essential that Namibia embark on a structured approach for achieving
compliance to different international and regional human rights instruments
that it ratified. Namibia has indeed ratified a large number of international and
regional instruments relevant to the migration area. However, note should in
particular be taken of certain important instruments not yet ratified by Namibia,
such as the following:

" International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations (UN)
Conventions in relation to migration, particularly ILO Convention 143 of
1975 and the UN Migrant Workers Convention of 1990; and

" The two UN Conventions on statelessness 1960 and 1975.

At the level of international and regional cooperation, jointly with
the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and with three international
organizations namely the ILO, IOM and United Nations Economic Commission
for Africa (UNECA) the African Union developed a programme that is intended
to operationalize the AUMPF and strengthen the effective governance and
regulation of labour migration and mobility in Africa, under the rule of law, at
the RECs and national levels. Known as the African Union Commission (AUC)-
ILO-IOM-UNECA-RECs Labour Migration Governance for Development and
Integration in Africa: A bold new initiative (also known as the AUC-ILO-IOM-
UNECA-RECs Joint Labour Migration Programme) (JLMP), this initial four-year
programme with a ten-year vision was adopted by the Twenty-fourth Summit of
the African Union in January 2015. The Programme will contribute to obtaining
the development potential of labour and skills mobility in Africa by supporting
effective governance of labour migration and protection of migrants.

From a SADC perspective, note should be taken of Namibias involvement
in both the SADC migration-related structures and the government-led Migration
Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDA) process, supported by IOM, UNHCR,
United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC). Regarding SADC, the development of a migration policy,
labour migration policy and possibly also a migration and development policy
for Namibia would fit in with the adoption of SADC of a labour migration policy
framework and labour migration action plan.

Institutional framework

A Technical Working Group (TWG) on Migration drawn from the
Interministerial Coordinating Committee was recently established. When it

xx Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

comes to implementation of the profile, it is evident that there are also other
crucial role players that need to be involved. Primary among these is the NPC,
situated within the Office of the President. A separate multi-stakeholder TWG
on health has been established, which deals, among others, with health-related
issues in connection with migrants. Several key Namibian institutions are
involved in broad area of migration.

Part G: Key findings and recommendations

Key recommendation 1 (Remittances): Adopt an appropriate regulatory
and policy framework, supported by a suitable institutional framework and
operational measures, and improved data collection and analysis, to harness
remittances for socioeconomic development in Namibia and address high
remittance transfer costs.

Key recommendation 2 (Diaspora): Profile and liaise with the Namibian
diaspora, also via a capacitated institutional framework within the Government
of Namibia, and promote their involvement in and contribution to the
development of Namibia.

Key recommendation 3 (Migration, health and well-being): Promote the
health of migrants, their partners and dependants through dedicated strategic
and policy frameworks and accessible preventive, educative, treatment, care
and support services, focusing in particular on high-risk areas (such as areas of
vulnerability).

Key recommendation 4 (Skills): Enhance and use the labour market
information system and skills audit data to determine available and required
skills (supply and demand) in Namibia, and develop a priority skills retention/
acquisition strategy.

Key recommendation 5 (Tourism): Facilitate the entire process of the
compilation of and reporting on tourist arrivals to support economic and labour
market development in Namibia.

Key recommendation 6 (Labour migration): Harness skilled migration
for development in Namibia by requiring immigrant professionals to provide
training and imparting of skills, and support migrant workers from Namibia
through dedicated pre-departure and return interventions, as well as support
services while they work and reside in destination countries.

xxiMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Key recommendation 7 (Internal migration): Enhance intersectoral
interventions to manage ruralurban migration and its effects on individuals
and households, and on social cohesion and economic and spatial development,
including decentralization and poverty reduction, and strengthen efforts
to address causes of internal migration including poverty, environmental
degradation, natural disasters and conflict, especially as they relate to the
process of urbanization.

Key recommendation 8 (Disaster risk management and climate change
adaptation): Enhance protective and preventive interventions and consider
undertaking a disaster risk management impact assessment study, as well as
an assessment on the impact of climate change on human mobility to define
appropriate evidence-based and appropriate measures and policies by taking
into account the specific context of environmental migration.

Key recommendation 9 (Refugees): Ensure the maintenance of a camp
coordination and camp management structure for Osire camp under the lead
of the Government of Namibia, and consider the development of medium-
to longer-term solutions such as voluntary return (where appropriate) and
bilateral agreements for the return of refugees to countries where a situation
conducive to refugee departure from Namibia exists.

Key recommendation 10 (Human trafficking): On the basis of the
Namibian Gender Policy and the National Human Rights Action Plan 20152019,
develop a comprehensive and multisectoral approach addressing prevention,
advocacy and awareness-raising, rehabilitation, integration and repatriation of
the victims of human trafficking, as well as finalizing comprehensive legislation
that criminalizes human trafficking for ease of prosecuting offenders.

Key recommendation 11 (Border management): Strengthen the
capacity of line ministries and other actors to adopt integrated and coordinated
approaches to streamline and enhance coordinated border management, also
through improved data collection and sharing with cross-border agencies, and
undertake visa harmonization.

Key recommendation 12 (Migration legal, policy and institutional
framework): Develop concrete policies to give effect to core elements of the
Migration Profile, supported by a dedicated institutional framework within the
Government of Namibia, and consider the ratification and implementation of
major migration standard-setting instruments of the ILO and the UN, as well
as other relevant standard-setting instruments to guide migration policy and
practice in Namibia.

xxii Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Key recommendation 13 (Strengthening the NSA and the migration
statistical environment): Support the migration statistical environment in
Namibia by enhancing the NSAs capacity to render a more comprehensive and
emphatic service in the migration domain, by strengthening inter-institutional
data cooperation, and by addressing capacity weaknesses.

Key recommendation 14 (Key indicators for labour migration): Align data
indicators and collection in Namibia with universally applicable labour migration
concepts, definitions and methods.

Key recommendation 15 (Other data-related recommendations):
Enhance migration-related data in census and household surveys, mainstream
migration data in Namibian policy and strategic frameworks and collect labour
market data from major destination countries.

xxiiiMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

contents

Foreword ............................................................................................ iii

Political map of Namibia ......................................................................v

Executive summary ............................................................................ vii
Part A: Aims and structure of migration profile ..............................................vii
Part B: Overview of the international and national data framework .............vii
Part C: The namibian migration context: Socioeconomic

indicators and migration perspectives ............................................... viii
Part D: Migration trends and characteristics ................................................... ix
Part E: The impact of migration ..................................................................... xiv
Part F: Migration governance ...................................................................... xviii
Part G: Key findings and recommendations .................................................... xx

List of tables ................................................................................... xxiv

List of figures and boxes.................................................................. xxvi

List of acronyms ..............................................................................xxvii

Typology of international migration ................................................. xxx

Part A: Introduction, aims and structure of migration profile ...............1

Part B: Overview of the international and national data
framework relevant to the namibian migration context .......................3

B.1. International data sources: an overview .................................................. 3
B.2. National data context ............................................................................... 4

Part C: The Namibian migration context: Socioeconomic
indicators and migration perspectives ...............................................13

C.1. Socioeconomic indicators ...................................................................... 13
C.2. Migration perspectives .......................................................................... 21

Part D: Migration trends and characteristics ......................................39
D.1. Arrivals, departures, travel and tourism ................................................. 39
D.2. Immigration ............................................................................................ 43
D.3. Emigration .............................................................................................. 56
D.4. Irregular migration ................................................................................. 67
D.5. Internal migration .................................................................................. 75

xxiv Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

liSt OF tablES

Part E: Impact of migration ................................................................83
E.1. Population change .................................................................................. 83
E.2. Migration and development: A principled framework ............................ 84
E.3. Economic development .......................................................................... 87
E.4. Employment, labour market and skills development ............................. 95
E.5. Social development ............................................................................... 100
E.6. Environment .......................................................................................... 105

Part F: Migration governance ...........................................................107
F.1. Policy framework .................................................................................. 107
F.2. Legal framework ................................................................................... 109
F.3. International agreements ..................................................................... 110
F.4. International cooperation African Union and SADC Context .............. 112
F.5. Institutional framework ......................................................................... 114

Part G: Key findings and recommendations ......................................117
G.1. Migration and development, internal and involuntary migration ........ 117
G.2. Migration management ....................................................................... 138
G.3. Migration data ...................................................................................... 141

Appendices ......................................................................................153
Appendix I: Sources consulted ................................................................... 153
Appendix II: Namibian higher education institutions:

Foreign students by nationality .............................................. 168
Appendix III: Trends in international migrant stock ..................................... 169
Appendix IV: List of institutions consulted................................................... 173

Table 1: Key development indicators and US dollars (USD) statistics ................. 13
Table 2: Basic health statistics ............................................................................ 21
Table 3: Sustainable Development Goals and migration .................................... 24
Table 4: Human trafficking in Africa .................................................................... 27
Table 5: Regional migration statistics (Southern Africa), 2013 .......................... 29
Table 6: Trends in international migrant stock, Namibia, 19902013 ................ 38
Table 7: Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants from Namibia

Total migrant stock at mid-year by origin, World total, 19902013 ...... 38
Table 8: Total arrivals, 20102011, 20122013 and 20132014 ........................ 39
Table 9: Total departures, 20102011, 20122013 and 20132014 .................. 39
Table 10: Number of foreign arrivals by nationality, 20112014 .......................... 40
Table 11: Trends in international migrant stock, Namibia, 19902013 ................ 46

xxvMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Table 12: Foreign and Namibian students, by gender country of origin
(extract: 10 students or more from a foreign country) ......................... 49

Table 13: Total number of foreign and Namibian students .................................. 49
Table 14: Namibian and foreign staff (from selected countries

at least five staff members per country concerned) ............................. 50
Table 15: Namibian and foreign staff, disaggregated by country

of origin and gender .............................................................................. 51
Table 16: Namibian and foreign staff, disaggregated by age cohort ..................... 51
Table 17: Refugee stock in Namibia, 19902013 ................................................. 54
Table 18: 2014 Presidential elections: Namibian gender-disaggregated

registrants abroad by age group ........................................................... 57
Table 19: 2014 Presidential election results: Constituency

Namibian Missions Abroad Polling Stations .......................................... 58
Table 20: Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants from Namibia

Total migrant stock at mid-year by origin and by major
area and region, 2013 (gender-disaggregated) ..................................... 59

Table 21: Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants
from Namibia, 19902013 Total migrant stock at
mid-year by origin and by major area and region, 19902013 ............. 60

Table 22: Migrant remittance inflows (USD million) ............................................. 64
Table 23: Irregular migrants arrested and deported or

issues with a 48-hour notice ................................................................. 67
Table 24: Regional statistics, 2014/15 Ministry of Health and Social Services ..... 71
Table 25: Ratified international and regional human rights

instruments governing migration issues ............................................. 111
Table 26: Foreign students by nationality ........................................................... 168
Table 27: Trends in international migrant stock:

Migrants from Namibia, 2013 ............................................................. 169
Table 28: Trends in international migrant stock:

Migrants from Namibia, 19902013 per country,
Total migrant stock at mid-year by origin and by major area,
region, country or area of destination, 19902013 ........................... 171

xxvi Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

liSt OF FiGuRES

liSt OF bOxES

Figure 1: Global migration share ......................................................................... 21
Figure 2: International remittance flows .............................................................. 22
Figure 3: Non-citizens by age and sex .................................................................. 46
Figure 4: Citizens and non-citizens Proportion distribution by occupation ....... 48
Figure 5: 2014 Presidential elections: Namibian gender-disaggregated

registrants abroad by age group ........................................................... 57
Figure 6: Personal remittances, received (USD million) ....................................... 64
Figure 7: Personal remittances, received (per cent of GDP) ................................ 65
Figure 8: Lifetime migrants by age and sex, 2011 ................................................ 77
Figure 9: Projected population for Namibia, urban and rural,

20152040: Medium variant ................................................................. 83
Figure 10: MIDA Ghana Health Project .................................................................. 92

Box 1: Aims of a Migration Profile ..................................................................... 1
Box 2: The importance of sufficient and current migration data ....................... 6
Box 3: Lifetime and short-term migrants ........................................................... 7
Box 4: Migrant workers in Africa ...................................................................... 26
Box 5: Migration in the Southern African Development

Community: An overview ...................................................................... 28
Box 6: The significance of remittances in Southern Africa ............................... 32
Box 7: Migration impact of political liberation ................................................. 33
Box 8: Overview Refugees and asylum-seekers in Namibia .......................... 53
Box 9: Receipt and use of remittances by Namibian households .................... 63
Box 10: Human trafficking in Namibia................................................................ 68
Box 11: Labour force participation of internal migrants and non-migrants ....... 78
Box 12: The nexus between migration and development.................................. 84
Box 13: Remittances and economic development ............................................. 89
Box 14: The value of remittances ....................................................................... 89
Box 15: The cost of transferring remittances ..................................................... 91
Box 16: Measures adopted by SADC governments to harness

the role of diasporas for development .................................................. 93
Box 17: Structural unemployment, skills development and job creation .......... 98
Box 18: Health vulnerabilities of migrants and mobile populations ................ 103
Box 19: Sourcing/exploring dedicated work opportunities

for surplus labour in other countries .................................................. 126
Box 20: DDRM/CCCM Strategic Plan priorities ................................................. 132

xxviiMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

liSt OF acRONymS

AUC African Union Commission

AUMPF African Union Migration Policy Framework for Africa

BRC Border resident card

CCCM Camp coordination and camp management

CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women

COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

DDRM Directorate of Disaster Risk Management

DHS Demographic and Health Survey

DRM Disaster risk management

ESA Employment Service Act

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization

GDP Gross domestic product

HDI Human development index

IBM Integrated Border Management

ILO International Labour Organization

IOL Institute of Open Learning

IOM International Organization for Migration

JLMP Joint Labour Migration Programme

LFS Labour Force Survey

LMIS Labour Market Information System

MDG Millennium Development Goal

MHAI Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration

MIDA Migration for Development in Africa

MIDSA Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa

MLIREC Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation

MOHSS Ministry of Health and Social Services

MOU Memorandum of understanding

NAMCOL Namibia College of Open Learning

NCAS Namibia Child Activities Survey

xxviii Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

NCHE National Council for Higher Education

NDP National Development Plan

NEP Namibian National Employment Policy

NGO Non-governmental organization

NHIES Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey

NHRP National Human Resources Plan

NODSOM Namibias Occupational Demand and Supply Outlook Model

NPC National Planning Commission

NPCC National Policy on Climate Change

NSA Namibia Statistics Agency

NSS National Statistics System

ODA Overseas Development Assistance

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OPM Office of the Prime Minister

PHAMESA Partnership on Health and Mobility in East and Southern Africa

POCA Prevention of Organised Crime Act of 2009

RECs Regional Economic Communities

SADC Southern Africa Development Community

SAMP Southern African Migration Project

SDGs Sustainable Development Goals

SSC Social Security Commission

TIP Trafficking in persons

TTCI Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index

TWG Technical Working Group

UN United Nations

UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNECA United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UNICEF United Nations Childrens Fund

xxixMigration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNPAF United Nations Partnership Framework

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

USAID United States Agency for International Development

VET Vocational and Education Training

VOTs Victims of trafficking

WHO World Health Organization

xxx Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Typology of international migration

Type of migration Main characters

Asylum-seekers Persons seeking to be admitted into a country as refugees and awaiting decision
on their application for refugee status under relevant international and national
instruments. In case of a negative decision, they must leave the country and may
be expelled, as may any alien in an irregular situation, unless permission to stay is
provided on humanitarian or other related grounds.

Irregular migrant Someone who, owing to illegal entry or the expiry of his or her visa, lacks legal
status in a transit or host country.

Labour migration Movement of persons from one State to another, or within their own country of
residence, for the purpose of employment.

Migrant flow The number of migrants counted as moving or being authorized to move, to or
from a country to access employment or to establish themselves over a defined
period of time.

Migrant stock The number of migrants residing in a country at a particular point in time.

Mixed flows Complex population movements including refugees, asylum-seekers, economic
migrants and other migrants.

Permanent residence The right, granted by a host State to a non-national, to live and work therein on a
permanent (unlimited) basis.

Permanent settlers Legally admitted immigrants who are accepted to settle in the receiving country,
including persons admitted for the purpose of family reunion.

Refugee A refugee, according to Article 1(A)(2), Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees Article 1A(2), 1951 as modified by the 1967 Protocol, is a person
who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion,
nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinions, is outside
the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to
avail himself of the protection of that country. In addition, the 1969 Organization
of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems
in Africa defines a refugee as any person compelled to leave his or her country
owing to external aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events seriously
disturbing public order in either part or the whole of his country or origin or
nationality.

Temporary migrant
workers

Skilled, semi-skilled or untrained workers who remain in the receiving country for
definite periods as determined in a work contract with an individual worker or a
service contract concluded with an enterprise.

Source: R. Perruchoud and J. Redpath-Cross (eds.), Glossary on Migration, 2nd edition (International Organization for Migration,
Geneva, 2011).

1Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

PART A: INTRODUCTION, AIMS AND
StRuctuRE OF miGRatiON PROFilE

The overall objective of developing a Migration Profile for Namibia is
to support evidence-based policymaking and promote the mainstreaming of
migration into the policymaking process by making current existing reliable
and comprehensive migration-related data available to government and other
stakeholders. The Profile was preceded by a data assessment report, which
identified gaps and made recommendations for the development of a national
data management and dissemination strategy. This Profile, as was the case with
the data assessment report, deals with key migration variables, and takes into
account priority areas indicated by the multi-stakeholder Technical Working
Group (TWG) on Migration, as well as six key regional areas of intervention as
laid out in the International Organization for Migrations (IOM) Regional Strategy
for Southern Africa (20132015). These are as follows:

" Mixed migration (inclusive of trafficking and assisted voluntary return and
reintegration)

" Labour migration and development (inclusive of diaspora engagement
and remittances)

" Immigration and border management
" Migration health
" Emergencies and transition
" Regional cooperation

Box 1: Aims of a Migration Profile

Migration Profiles are country-owned tools, prepared in consultation with a broad range of government
and non-government stakeholders, which can be used to enhance policy coherence, evidence-based
policymaking and the mainstreaming of migration into development planning.

Source: IOM, Migration Profiles: Making the Most of the Process (IOM, Geneva, 2012), p. 89.

Bearing in mind the priority areas (key migration variables) and key
regional areas of intervention indicated above, this Profile has adjusted the
proposed Migration Profile template to reflect these priority and key areas
respectively. Particular attention is paid to the data context, given the challenges
experienced in this regard in Namibia. The structure of the Profile is indicated on
the following page.

2 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The Profile also relies on identified key migration data sources and
available and accessible data sets, with special reference to the following:

(a) National data sources and data sets (in particular those emanating
from the National Statistical Agency (NSA), including the Labour Force
Survey (LFS), Population and Housing Census, Namibia Household
Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES), Sectoral Reports); and

(b) International data sources and data sets (in particular those
emanating from the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(UN DESA), World Bank, IOM and African Development Bank).

The structure of this Profile is as follows:

(a) Part A deals with the introduction and the aims and structure of the
Profile;

(b) Part B provides an overview of the international and national data
framework relevant to the Namibian migration context;

(c) Part C reflects on background information concerning the Namibian
migration context, with particular reference to socioeconomic
indicators and migration perspectives;

(d) Part D concerns migration trends and characteristics;
(e) Part E discusses the impact of migration in particular areas of concern;
(f) Part F summarizes the migration governance framework;
(g) Part G contains key findings and recommendations; and
(h) Relevant appendices added at the end of the Profile.

3Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

PaRt b: OvERviEW OF tHE
iNtERNatiONal aND NatiONal
Data FRamEWORK RElEvaNt tO tHE
NamibiaN miGRatiON cONtExt

B.1. International data sources: An overview

Reliable international migration data concerning Namibia are hard to
find and difficult to verify. Included in this regard are data involving migration
into and from Namibia, as well as migration through Namibia (such as in the
event where Namibia is used as a temporary entry and exit country for human
smuggling or trafficking purposes). It could be that the unavailability of certain
national data and inaccessibility of other available national data are contributing
to this state of affairs.

Nevertheless, an attempt has been made by certain international
organizations to quantify the Namibian migration stock and flows. In addition to
the World Bank figures provided in Part C below, mention should also be made of
the figure quoted by the IOM that Namibia records one of the highest percentages
of international migrants in Southern Africa (6.3%); IOM further remarks that
Namibia is also experiencing increasing internal migration, owing largely to rapid
urbanization and ruralurban migration.1 Statistics on international migration
provided by the UN DESA indicate the fluent nature and fluctuating trend of
this phenomenon, assumingly caused by the significant impact that migration
flows may have on a country with such a small population. For example, whereas
UN DESA recorded that the international migration stock in Namibia constituted
8.9 per cent in 1990, this figure has moved down to 2.2 per cent in 2013 (males:
2.4%; females: 2.1%).2

1 IOM Namibia, Country Strategy 20132017 (2013), pp. 3, 13, referring to 2009 data from the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).

2 UN DESA, Population Division, Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2013 Revision (United Nations
database, POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2013). Available from http://esa.un.org/unmigration/TIMSA2013/Data/
subsheets/UN_MigrantStock_2013T3.xls on 30 May 2015. See Table 6 below.

4 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

B.2. National data context

B.2.1. Overview of available migration data

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) was established in 2012 as the lead
statistical institution in Namibia, in terms of the Statistics Act No. 9 of 2011.
The Act also provides for the powers and functions of the Agency, as well as
the development of the National Statistics System and its components and
objectives.

The NSA is primarily responsible for national and household censuses and
surveys. As discussed below, some but limited data concerning migration facts,
figures and trends are contained in some of the census and survey reports. Both
expansion and adaptation are foreseen, as indicated below. Furthermore, the
NSA has been involved in planning and assisting with the development and/or
execution of further sector-specific data procurement with an impact potentially
on the area of migration as well. As discussed elsewhere in this report, two of
these contexts relate to the following: (a) new occupational skills audit survey,
the results whereof are expected soon; and (b) development of a Labour Market
Information System (LMIS). Importantly, the NSA published a Migration Report
in 2015, which provides information on internal and international migration
covering both lifetime and short-term migrants based on the 2011 Namibia
Population and Housing census.3

Limited migration-related sectoral statistics of an administrative nature
are available from line ministries, agencies and other institutions, appearing
both from administrative data collected at, for example, border posts and from
census information:

(a) The Ministry of Environment and Tourism publishes a Tourist
Statistical Report, which reflects on foreign arrivals, disaggregated
among others with reference to tourists, same-day visitors and
returning residents, and indicating the main purpose of entry, in
particular visiting friends/relatives, business and holiday.4

(b) The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture produces an Annual
Education Census, which contains the following:

(i) Relatively detailed information on foreign teachers (with
reference to indicators, such as nationality, country of origin,

3 Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), Namibia 2011 Census Migration Report (NSA, Windhoek, Namibia, 2015).
4 Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Tourist Statistical Report 2012 and 2013 (Directorate of Tourism and

Gaming, October 2014).

5Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

employment type (status, level and period of appointment),
age, gender and geographical spread in Namibia); and

(ii) (Currently only) limited information on foreign learners
(reflecting only on the total number of non-Namibian learners,
disaggregated by gender).5

(c) The National Council of Higher Education has statistics available on
foreign teachers and students at higher education institutions falling
under the auspices of the Council.

(d) The Electoral Commission of Namibia keeps data on the Namibian
citizens who register abroad for national elections (disaggregated by
age group and gender), and who vote in these elections.6

(e) Statistics on services provided to victims of human trafficking are
gathered by the Ministry of Gender (although largely inaccessible),
as well as by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS).

(f) As discussed later in this Profile, data on border entry and exit,
immigration, work permits and visas are kept by the Ministry of
Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAI), but is not publicly accessible.

Despite its obvious importance to Namibia, the area of migration data and
the management of these data are weakly developed. As noted in the Migration
Report:

Migration is a powerful driver of population change and can have important
consequence of economic, political and social changes. Because of its
great impact on societies, migration needs to be adequately measured and
understood. Reliable statistical data is the key to the basic understanding
of this important demographic phenomenon. Yet in many countries,
including Namibia, statistics on migration are incomplete, out-of-date or
do not exist. Improvement in this area requires knowledge of the principles
of collecting, compiling and analysing migration statistics.7

5 Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Annual Education Census.
6 For example, this data pertaining to the most recent presidential election were made available to the

consultant.
7 NSA, 2015b, p. ii.

6 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Box 2: The importance of sufficient and current migration data

In its Migration Report, the NSA notes the importance of sufficient and current data about migration
patterns and trends to inform policymaking and planning:

It is important for policymakers and planners to know about population movements. It should however
be mentioned that migration is a complex subject and without sufficient up to date statistical dated
data it is difficult to give a complete picture of current migration pattern and trends for any population
due to lack of data. Migrants are a diverse group of people who move to different geographic areas for
different reasons: e.g. in search for better living conditions, work, family circumstances, study, economic
hardship, or even social unrest.

Source: NSA, 2015b, p. iii.

It is not clear from the Migration Report, and in fact also not from other
surveys and data sets currently available in Namibia, what policy purposes could
be served by international (in-, out- and transit-) migration data for example
for purposes of immigration policy and planning, to inform diaspora policies,
support labour exporting or assist with policy formulation regarding human
trafficking (involving both internal and international migrants). In fact, the remit
of the NSA has thus far been a limited though expanding one. It has not, for
example, covered core migration areas, such as immigration, irregular migrants,
human trafficking, the diaspora and remittances, and disaster risk management
(DRM).

B.2.2. National and household censuses and surveys:
The Namibia Statistics Agency

b.2.2.1. introduction

Currently, migration-related indicators are provided for only to a limited
extent and in a few of the census and survey formats although, once again,
expansion is foreseen.

B.2.2.2. National Population and Housing Census

As indicated elsewhere in this Profile, the Census, which is being conducted
every 10 years, covers both internal and, to a more limited extent, international
migration. It draws a distinction between short-term and long-term migration.
In addition to citizenship, it asked about ones usual residence in 2011, as well as
the areas of birth and the previous residence in 2010.

7Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Box 3: Lifetime and short-term migrants

In the Migration Report, an individual is considered a lifetime migrant if the area of birth does not match
the area of current residence. Similarly, an individual is considered a short-term migrant if the area of usual
residence in 2010 and 2011 do not match.

Source: NSA, 2015, p. 3.

Of course, as noted in the report, both of these figures may understate
overall population mobility even when residences do match at the two
endpoints, an individual might have moved in between them. The report indicates
yet another flaw in the wording of the question about previous residence in
that it asked about where people usually lived since September 2010: This
wording may have caused some respondents who actually did live at a different
residence a year ago to report their current residence as their former residence,
biasing downwards estimates of short-term migration. Migration should be
estimated at distinct points in time.8

Importantly, data in connection with emigrants, although requested in
the census form, could not be sufficiently cleaned up due to the inadequacy
of the responses. Form C of the Census questionnaire asked for different
types of information about the persons who left the particular household to
other countries since 2001 and did not spend the census reference night in
Namibia: their sex, age, highest grade/standard or level of completed education,
professional training/occupation, the reason for staying abroad, any remittance
sent to any household member, the country of current residence destination,
and the year of departure. Apparently, the requested information was not well
understood by the enumerators. It is suggested that the specific questions asked
and the way in which they have been formulated need to be revisited. Also, it is
necessary to ensure that enumerators are appropriately trained.

B.2.2.3. Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey

As noted above, these surveys have been carried out every five years
since 1994. It is important to note that the questionnaire for the next survey,
the 2015/2016 NHIES, effectively scheduled as an intercensal survey, has been
designed to obtain data on a range of internal, in-migration and outmigration
related indicators. These indicators relate to the following matters (some
comments are provided):

8 NSA, 2015b, p. 3.

8 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(a) Temporary absence (absence for a period less than six months);
(b) Movement from one region, or country, to another in the past five

years as well as the following: (i) when the person moved to the
present region or country; (ii) the name of the region/country the
person was living in just before moving to the present region; (iii) the
reason for moving to present region (an open-ended list of reasons
is provided); and (iv) with whom did the person move to the present
region (an open-ended list of household and other possibilities is
indicated);

the reason for absence (the main reasons needs to be selected from
an open-ended list of reasons);

(e) Number of months absence from the household during the past 12
months however, an instruction given to the enumerator that [If
the person was absent for 6 months or more, cross their name from
the roster and do not ask anything else] may have to be revisited,
as it takes away the opportunity to collect data on, among others,
the sources of income and the occupation of the person concerned;

(f) Enrolment in an educational institution during the current or previous
year, among others outside Namibia;

(g) Receipt of a scholarship or financial assistance for educational
purposes in the previous year, also from relatives abroad;

(h) Duration of employment contract and period of employment at
current job which could be relevant also in the case of foreign
workers in Namibia;

(i) (Value of) remittances received in cash or in kind from individuals
who are not household members, during the last 12 months, and
the purpose(s) for which the remittances were used, including both
household expenses and business or investments;

(j) (Value of) remittances sent to individuals who are not household
members, living in Namibia or abroad;

(k) Type of income received by household over the past 12 months,
including cash remittances (not including alimony/child support);

(l) Main source of income for the household, including cash remittances
(not including alimony/child support); and

(m) Main source of funding to cover outstanding household loans or
debts, including from relatives in Namibia and relatives abroad.

9Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The indicators above evidently assist with gaining income and expenditure-
related picture of household members who could be internal migrants or foreign
migrants living and/or working in Namibia. However, more pertinent questions
could be asked in relation to the immigrant and occupational status of foreign
migrants, as well as the occupational status of internal migrants, also in view
of the inadequate provision made in the LFS in relation to foreign migrants.
Furthermore, as indicated, the current format of the census questions leaves
little room to explore details of emigrant status, to the extent that household
members in Namibia may be privy to such information. Finally, while some
questions are asked regarding the receipt of remittances, one or more further
questions could be posed in order to obtain a picture of how/for what purpose(s)
use is being made of remittances.

B.2.2.4. Other censuses and surveys

(a) Demographic and Health Survey: In 2013, the NSA collaborated
with the MOHSS in conducting the Demographic and Health Survey
(DHS).9 This serves as a periodic update of the demographic and health
situation in Namibia, and is the fourth comprehensive, national-level
population and health survey conducted in Namibia as part of the
global DHS programme.10 As indicated in the survey report, the overall
objective of the survey is to provide demographic, socioeconomic and
health data necessary for policymaking, planning, monitoring and
evaluation at both the national and regional levels.

The survey was designed to generate recent and reliable information on
fertility, family planning, infant and child mortality, maternal and child
health, nutrition, domestic violence, and knowledge and prevalence
of HIV/AIDS and other non-communicable diseases, which allows
monitoring progress through time with respect to these issues.11 The
report indicates that the information provided will aid in assessments
of current health- and population-related policies and programmes,
and that will also be useful in formulating new population and health
policies and programmes. A long-term objective of the survey is

9 See Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) and ICF International, The Namibia Demographic and
Health Survey 2013 (MOHSS and ICF International, Windhoek, Namibia and Rockville, Maryland, USA, 2014).

10 Ibid., p. xvii: The 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey was implemented by the MOHSS in
collaboration with the NSA and the National Institute of Pathology. Technical support was provided by
ICF International, with financial support from the Government of Namibia, the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the Global Fund.

11 Ibid. In addition, the survey measured the prevalence of anaemia, high blood pressure and high blood
glucose among adult women and men and the prevalence of anaemia among children age 659 months; it
also collected anthropometric data to assess the nutritional status of women, men and children.

10 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

to strengthen the technical capacity of local organizations to plan,
conduct, process and analyse data from complex national population
and health surveys. Moreover, the 2013 DHS is comparable to similar
surveys conducted in other developing countries and therefore affords
a national and international comparison. The 2013 DHS therefore adds
to the vast and growing international database on demographic and
health-related variables.12

However, it should be noted that none of the indicators investigated
in the DHS, nor any of the questionnaire questions, refer to migrant
or nationality status. Based on the data obtained via the DHS, it is
therefore not possible to obtain a picture of the extent to which the
data may apply to short- and long-term migrants, or to internal or
external migrants.

(b) LFS: The NSA is also responsible for (the now annual) LFS. However,
labour migration variables have not been included, except for the
incorporation of citizenship as a variable in the chapter providing
information on demographic characteristics of the population.13

The NSA acknowledges that there is need, on the basis of a SADC
requirement to this effect, to include appropriate labour migration
variables in the next LFS. Apparently, the International Labour
Organization (ILO) is assisting the NSA in this regard.14

(c) Occupational skills audit survey: The Namibia Occupational Skills
Audit Survey was conducted, at establishment level, by the Ministry
of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation (MLIREC) in
collaboration with the NSA in 2014. The soon-to-be expected outcome
of the assessment will give an indication of the skills situation/needs
in Namibia. Certain migration-related variables have reportedly been
captured in the audit report. These relate to the following: (i) whether
the establishment employs foreigners and, if so, which occupational
levels do they occupy (e.g. managers), what their qualifications
are, and from which country do they originate; and (ii) whether the
establishment is a foreign, Namibian or a joint venture establishment.
Another variable that may have some bearing on the employment of
foreign workers (at least in the future), relates to a question on which
occupations prove difficult to fill in the establishment.15

12 Ibid.
13 See NSA, Namibia Labour Force Survey Report 2013 (NSA, Windhoek, 2014), p. 39.
14 Information shared with the consultant by the NSA.
15 Information conveyed to the consultant by Ms Wilhelmine Shigwedha, Chief Economist, Mr Malakia Malakia,

Economist and Ms Hilya Iita, Chief Development Planner of the MLIREC, on 15 June 2015.

11Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(d) Tourism Statistical Report: The involvement of the NSA in the
production of the Tourism Statistical Report was noted above.

(e) Labour Market Information System: It is further envisaged that an
LMIS (with assistance from ILO) will be developed and updated on
an ongoing basis.16 Migration is increasingly being regarded as one
of the dimensions of employment policy. It has been noted that
the development of efficient, comprehensive and integrated LMIS
comprising labour migration information is a prerequisite for efficient
employment and migration policies, as well as for the implementation
of bilateral migration agreements.17

(f) Youth unemployment report: Finally, developing a youth
(un)employment report, based on the 2012 and 2013 LFS reports
is apparently being considered by the NSA.18 This will add value to
the understanding of youth (un)employment in Namibia. However,
given the limited framework related to migration variables included
in the LFS reports, it is doubtful whether this report on youth
(un)employment will make a meaningful contribution to
understanding youth (un)employment from the perspective of
in-migration and outmigration. Recently, an analysis of the 2011 National
Population and Housing Census data in relation to the well-being of
children and young people in Namibia across different dimensions of
their lives, was undertaken by the NSA.19 Internal migration by children
and young people was one of the themes covered by the analysis.

16 Information shared with the consultant by the NSA.
17 I. Martin, Labour Market Information Systems and Labour Migration Information in Six Developing Countries:

The Challenge of Integration (IOM, 2011), p. 5.
18 Information shared with the consultant by the NSA.
19 NSA and UNICEF, Young people in Namibia: An analysis of the 2011 Population & Housing Census (Research

and Information Services of Namibia, Namibia, 2014), in particular pp. 1617.

13Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

PaRt c: tHE NamibiaN miGRatiON
cONtExt: SOciOEcONOmic iNDicatORS
aND miGRatiON PERSPEctivES

c.1. Socioeconomic indicators

Table 1: Key development indicators and US dollars (USD) statistics

Demography
Total population (World Bank, 2013) 2,303,000

Rural population (Census, 2011) 57%

Urban population (Census, 2011) 43%

Male population (Census, 2011) 48.36%

Female population (Census, 2011) 51.64%

Official language English

Socioeconomic indicators
Human development index (HDI) (Human Development Report, 2013) HDI

0.608

Rank

128 out of 186 countries

Life expectancy (Human Development Report, 2013) 62.6 years

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (current USD) (World Bank,
2011)

5,293

Gini coefficient (NHIES, 2009/10) 0.5971

Proportion of population below the poverty line (NSA, 2011) 29%

Proportion of seats in National Assembly held by women (2014)* 41% (43 out of 104 seats)

Female-headed households (Census, 2011) 44%

Unemployment rate broad definition (Namibia LFS, 2014) 28.1% (Male: 24.3%; Female: 31.7%)

Youth unemployment rate (Namibia LFS, 2014) 39.2%

Labour force absorption rate (Namibia LFS, 2014) 49.6% (Male: 71.6%; Female: 66.9%)

Youth labour force absorption rate (Namibia LFS, 2014) 38.6%

Labour force participation rate (Namibia LFS, 2014) 69.1%

Adult literacy rate (age 1549) (NHIES, 2009/10) 88.51%

Ratio of girls-boys (in primary school) (Education Management
Information System 2011)

104.4%

Infant mortality rate (DHS, 2006/07) 45.61 deaths/1,000 live births

Maternal mortality rate (DHS, 2006/07) 449 deaths/100,000 live births

Adult HIV prevalence (African Economic Outlook, 2015) 16.9%

Population with access to safe water (for drinking and cooking)
(Census, 2011)

80% (Urban: 97.7%; Rural: 62.8%)

Population with no toilet facility (Census, 2011) 48.6% (Urban: 22.4%; Rural: 74.0%)

Source: Adjusted from United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPAF) (Namibia) (20142018): A Partnership for Growth, Job Creation
and Equity (United Nations Country Team, Windhoek, Namibia, 2013), p. 4.

* Quota Project: Global Database of Quotas for Women, Namibia. Available from www.quotaproject.org/uid/countryview.
cfm?country=160 (accessed 16 October 2015).

14 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

c.1.1. Economic and demographic background

According to the African Economic Outlook for Namibia in 2015,20 Namibias
economy is in recovery, growing at rates above 5 per cent since 2010.21 This has
been particularly due to robust construction activity and high consumer demand,
coupled with tight monetary policy.22 While Namibia has made good progress in
relation to socioeconomic developments, also steadily increasing growth and
ensuring the general decline of poverty, inequality and unemployment remain
key challenges. For certain segments of Namibian society, and in certain regions
of the country, however, poverty levels remain high.

According to the latest census data, most people in Namibia live in rural
areas (57%). The other 43 per cent who live in urban areas are concentrated
in Khomas (36% of the total urban population), followed by Erongo (15% of
the total urban population). Significantly, between 2001 and 2011, the urban
population grew by a staggering 49.7 per cent, and the rural population shrank
by 1.4 per cent.23 This demonstrates the high rate of rural-to-urban migration
(reflected on in more detail elsewhere in the Profile), also driven by labour
market considerations.24

Recently undertaken studies relying on qualitative and quantitative data
sources reflect on the causes and consequences of ruralurban migration. These
sources indicate that migrants to cities and towns in Namibia come from rural
areas in search of employment opportunities and to have a better urban life,
for education, as a result of climatic conditions such as floods, and improved
services and facilities.

20 M. Phiri and O. Odhiambo, African Economic Outlook: Namibia 2015 (African Development Bank, Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
2015), p. 1. Available from www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/fileadmin/uploads/aeo/2015/CN_data/CN_
Long_EN/Namibia_GB_2015.pdf (accessed on 17 September 2015).

21 Reduction in poverty head count, poverty gap and severity in Namibia has been attributed mainly to a
general increase in consumption by Namibians (NSA, Poverty dynamics in Namibia: A comparative study
using the 1993/94, 2003/04 and the 2009/10 NHIES surveys (NSA, Windhoek, Namibia, 2012), p. 38).

22 Ibid.
23 International Labour Organization (ILO), Namibia Social Protection Floor Assessment (ILO Decent Work Team

for Eastern and Southern Africa and ILO Country Office for South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and
Swaziland, 2014), p. 16. The urban areas have a large proportion of working-age people (between 15 and 59
years of age) and a smaller proportion of the elderly compared to rural areas. The proportion of the elderly
living in rural areas is 9.1 per cent, and half of that figure in urban areas.

24 NSA, 2015b.

15Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

c.1.2. labour market information

The 2013 Labour Force Survey puts the number of workers in Namibia at
around 690,000, which consist of the following:

(a) Some 324,000 form part of the informal economy;
(b) Approximately 83,000 work in the public sector;
(c) A little over 30,000 are employees of parastatal organizations;
(d) Some 225,000 work in what might be considered formal private-

sector occupations; and
(e) The balance of 27,000 find themselves in employment that is

classified as part of the formal economy, but may be characterized as
vulnerable, largely in households of various types.

Earnings statistics, notwithstanding unreliability of this type of information,
suggest that income among these workers is as follows:

(a) Highest among government employees and then parastatal
employees;

(b) Subject to a substantial spread in formal private-sector work, but
on average lower than for public servants and workers at parastatal
organizations; and

The inactive population, also referred to as the not economically active
population, comprise persons who were unavailable to take up any form of
employment due to a variety of reasons.25 Almost 450,000 people were reported
as being inactive (over the age of 15 years) in the recent Namibia LFS. Of this
group, 56.2 per cent were female.26

25 NSA, Namibia Labour Force Survey 2014 Report (NSA, Windhoek, Namibia, 2015), p. 49.
26 Ibid., p. 51.

16 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

C.1.3. Poverty indicators

The World Bank has captured essential country data in relation to
Namibia.27 In terms of this data, Namibia is regarded as an upper-middle-income
country, with the following statistics (relevant year indicated in brackets):

(a) GDP of USD 12.58 billion (2013);
(b) Total population of 2.303 million (2013);
(c) Poverty head count of 28.7 per cent (2009), significantly down from

the figure for 2004 (37.7%) and 1994 (69.3%);
(d) Life expectancy of 64 (2012);
(e) Gross national income (GNI) per capita of USD 5,840 (2013); and
(f) Economic growth rate of 3.3 per cent.

General data contained in the most recent UNDP Human Development
Report of 2013 reveals the following:28

(a) HDI ranking (128 out of 187 countries) (2012) (informed partly by
progress in the following areas: life expectance at birth, years of
schooling, increase of GNI per capita by about 45 per cent between
1980 and 2012);

(b) Gender inequality index 86 out of 148 countries (2012), noting
among others the lower female labour participation rate (58.6% in
comparison with the male labour participation rate (69.9%); and

(ii) Population vulnerable to poverty: 23.6 per cent; and
(iii) Population in severe poverty: 14.7 per cent.

Perhaps one of the most prominent achievements has been the 40 per
cent reduction in poverty between 1993/94 and 2009/2010, with the biggest
improvement in rural areas.29

27 See http://data.worldbank.org/country/namibia#cp_surv, accessed on 4 July 2015. "Poverty headcount"
refers to the proportion of a population that exists, or lives, below the poverty line. GNI (Gross national
income) is defined as "the sum of value added by all producers who are residents in a nation, plus any
product taxes (minus subsidies) not included in output, plus income received from abroad such as
employee compensation and property income" (Investopedia, Gross National Income, Available from www.
investopedia.com/terms/g/gross-national-income-gni.asp, accessed on 27 January 2015).

28 See http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/Country-Profiles/NAM.pdf
29 Phiri and Odhiambo, 2015, p. 22.

17Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

C.1.4. Poverty, inequality and vulnerability

Individuals in Namibia are more likely to live in poverty if they are in rural
areas, female-headed households, households headed by persons with no formal
education, and households relying on pensions and income from subsistence
farming.30 The highest incidence of poverty is found in the Kavango region,
where 43 per cent of the households are poor and 24 per cent are severely
poor. However, Namibia has made progress in reducing geographical income
disparities despite its largely arid climate and low population density.31 Poverty
rates are especially high in households headed by the elderly, with almost 40 per
cent of households headed by persons aged 65 and older being considered poor.
Most employed poor are involved in subsistence farming activities.32

Interestingly, the ILO estimates that the increase in urbanization has had
a minimal effect on the overall change in total poverty rates. According to the
2014 Social Protection Floor Assessment Report, the decline has largely been
as a result of direct improvement in the well-being of people in both rural and
urban areas.33

Although the Gini coefficient for Namibia has declined during the past
two decades, the level of inequality is still considered to be high.34 As has been
argued, &the relatively high Gini coefficient suggests that inclusive growth
remains elusive.35 There is also a difference between the Gini coefficient rates
of inequality in rural areas, compared to urban areas, with a steady decline in
inequality in rural areas.36 Still, Namibia has been credited with making good
progress in reducing poverty, despite uneven results across the 14 regions (with
two registering increases in poverty over the past decade).37

It has been noted that the current social grant system has had a significant
impact on poverty but a more limited impact on inequality, primarily because of
the lower level of the grants relative to other income sources, as well as the fact
that not all vulnerable groups are covered.38

30 ILO, 2014, p. 34.
31 Phiri and Odhiambo, 2015, p. 2.
32 ILO, 2014, p. 36.
33 Ibid. Also see NSA, Poverty Dynamics in Namibia (2012).
34 See NSA, Namibia Household Income Expenditure Survey (2009/2010).
35 Phiri and Odhiambo, 2015, p. 12.
36 ILO, 2014, p. 49.
37 Phiri and Odhiambo, 2015, p. 11.
38 ILO, 2014, p. 113.

18 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

From the perspective of gender equality, while Namibia has narrowed the
gender divide in education, politics and public service, a number of challenges
remain, particularly in respect of labour market participation, high female
unemployment, high maternal mortality and high poverty incidence in respect
of women.39 Also, the UN Country Team also focuses on increasing livelihood
opportunities for people below the poverty line (for example, those impacted
by drought).

Furthermore, in a recent development, a new ministry focusing on
addressing poverty has been instituted, that is, the Minister of Poverty Eradication
and Social Welfare. Also, the Government of Namibia has committed itself to
develop a white paper and hold national consultations with all regions, in order
to develop a 10-year action plan, with a view to eradicate poverty totally by
2025. In a recent keynote address by the President of the Republic of Namibia,
His Excellency Hage Geingob, put forward several key components of the fight
against poverty and the achievement of poverty eradication by 2025:40

(a) The acknowledgement that everyone deserves a dignified life, which
includes decent employment, shelter, water, sanitation, education
and access to health care. He indicated that the Government of
Namibia is close to finalizing the legal framework to reduce the
income gap.

(b) Creation of economic opportunities for Namibians, by growing the
economy in an inclusive manner and enhancing the capabilities of all
Namibians to fully participate in the economy and in society.

(c) Increase in the non-contributory old age pension grant by some 66
per cent in this financial year, with further increases factored into the
current Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

(d) Introduction of a solidarity tax in the next budget that will call on
each income-making Namibian above a certain threshold to make
a contribution towards a fund that will be earmarked for poverty
eradication activities.

(e) Enticing owners of companies to dilute shareholding to include
workers.

39 Phiri and Odhiambo, 2015, p. 12.
40 Keynote address by His Excellency Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, National

Conference on Wealth Redistribution and Poverty Eradication, 26 October 2015, Safari Hotel Conference
Centre, Windhoek). Available from www.gov.na/documents/10181/22710/KEY+NOTE+ADDRESS+BY+HIS+E
XCELLENCY+HAGE+G+GEINGOB%2C+PRESIDENT+OF+THE+REPUBLIC+OF+NAMIBIA+NATIONAL+CONFEREN
CE+ON+WEALTH+REDISTRIBUTION+AND+POVERTY+ERADICATION+%282015+10+26%29/62643192-abcc-
40b5-97d3-6114b0dfcf1a

19Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(f) Establishment of food banks in all parts of Namibia to halt hunger
poverty in Namibia, especially in urban areas where there is no
access to productive land.

(g) Availment of land for agricultural-related youth enterprise activities.
(h) Strengthening of education outcomes with a view to bring about

greater equality through the introduction of free secondary school
education and replacing scholarship for tertiary students with a grant
system.

(i) Addressing of land reform and provision of affordable housing to
all Namibians, through an urban land clearing exercise, and the
subsidization of qualifying local authorities to address the housing
backlog in Namibia.

(j) Structural and institutional reforms to support the war against
poverty henceforth, the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social
Welfare will resort under the Presidency, to enable it to fully play its
coordinating function and receive support from the highest level.

(k) The development of an anti-poverty plan with clear goals, critical
success factors, targets, actions, timelines and responsibilities; the
plan, which comes into effect 1 April 2016, will be aligned to the
next Medium-Term Expenditure Framework to ensure that it is
adequately resourced.

Finally, in this regard, it has been noted that the ability of Namibians to
escape poverty could depend on their ability to obtain wages and salaries from
employment.41

C.1.5. Health indicators

The 2015 African Economic Outlook for Namibia reports that the country
has registered mixed progress towards health-related Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs):

(a) While the under-five child mortality rate has declined from about
75 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 54 per 1,000 live births in 2013, the
country is unlikely to meet the MDG target.

(b) Also, at 358 deaths per 100,000 live births, the maternal mortality
rate is higher than the 186 average for medium HDI countries.
This is largely due to two key factors: 1 in 10 births is not attended
by skilled health personnel, and the adolescent birth rate of
82 per cent remains high.

41 NSA, Poverty Dynamics in Namibia, 2012, p. 22.

20 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(c) The national HIV prevalence rate at 16.9 per cent in 2014 had
declined by 23 per cent with the prevalence among women aged
2024 falling from 22 per cent to 9.8 per cent.42

The report further notes the following:

(a) Between 1996 and 2013, deaths from malaria per 100,000 population
declined from 31 to 1; and43

(b) The percentage of deaths associated with tuberculosis declined from
7 in 2,000 to 3.5 in 2012.

It indicates that health care remains a top government priority, receiving
increasingly higher spending, although at 12.2 per cent of the national budget
in 2014/15, it still falls short of the target of 15 per cent set by African Union
countries in their 2001 Abuja Declaration.

Regarding HIV/AIDS, while it has been noted that systematic data on HIV
prevalence rates and risk behaviours among key populations and vulnerable
populations at higher risk are not currently available, HIV prevalence among
people aged 15 and above was estimated at 12.8 per cent in 2013/14. However,
antenatal HIV prevalence varied considerably, from a high of 37.7 per cent
(Katima Mulilo) to a low of 9.6 per cent (Windhoek Central Hospital).44 However,
once adopted for Namibia, the new WHO (2013) Treatment Guidelines are likely
to have a dramatic impact on the trajectory of AIDS-related mortality.45

It has been suggested that the main driving factors of HIV infection
(biological, behavioural, social and structural) are understood to be a combination
of low levels of male circumcision, multiple and concurrent partnerships,
low and inconsistent use of male and female condoms, low-risk perception,
alcohol abuse, intergenerational sex, transactional sex, oscillatory mobility and
migration, and relatively few people married or in cohabiting relationships: Of
particular relevance in Namibia is cross-border migration and the transport
corridors to major ports, with associated high levels of transactional sex and
documented high HIV prevalence (as indicated in the sentinel surveys noted
earlier). Katima Mulilo is the most affected, with over one-third of women in

42 Phiri and Odhiambo, 2015, p. 11.
43 See also World Health Organization (WHO), World Malaria Report 2014 (WHO, Switzerland, 2014), p. 127.
44 By age group, HIV prevalence was observed to be highest among women aged 3539 years (33.9%) and

women aged 3034 years (30.8%). The HIV prevalence rate was lowest among women aged 1519 years
(5.4%) and women aged 2024 years (10.9%). A notable and disturbing trend has been the increase in new
infections among young women. See MOHSS, Mid-Term Review Report of the National Strategic Framework
for HIV and AIDS 2010/112016/17 (MOHSS, Windhoek, Namibia, December 2014), pp. 2023.

45 Ibid.

21Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

antenatal care being HIV positive. Informal settlements in both urban and rural
areas have also been identified as having many high risk factors for HIV.46

A comprehensive institutional, operational and treatment framework to
address HIV/AIDS has been rolled out by the Government of Namibia.47

The following health statistics provided by the World Health Organization
(WHO) are also relevant (with source year indicated):48

Table 2: Basic health statistics

Birth registration coverage 78% (2011)

Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) 54 (2013)

Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births) 130 (1990)

Deaths due to HIV/AIDS (per 100,000 population) 159.1 (2012)

Deaths due to malaria (per 100,000 population) 0.1 (2012)

Deaths due to tuberculosis among HIV-negative people (per 100,000 population) 57 (2013)

Leading cause of death HIV/AIDS 3,600 (2012)

Sources: WHO, Namibia: WHO statistical profile. Available from www.who.int/gho/countries/nam.pdf?ua=1 (accessed on 18 September
2015); Phiri and Odhiambo, 2015.

c.2. miGRatiON PERSPEctivES

C.2.1. Global developments

Figure 1: Global migration share

Source: World Bank, Migration and Remittances: Recent Developments and Outlook, Special Topic: Financing for Development,
Migration and Development Brief 24, 13 April 2015. Available from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROSPECTS/
Resources/334934-1288990760745/MigrationandDevelopmentBrief24.pdf, p. 3.

46 Ibid., pp. 2324.
47 MOHSS, National Coordination Framework for the Multi-sectoral HIV and AIDS Response in Namibia,

20132017 (MOHSS, Windhoek, Namibia, 2014).
48 WHO, 2015.

22 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

As indicated by Figure 1 above and the list below, based on the recently
following data provided by the World Bank, migrants are rather equally
distributed among three key types (southnorth, southsouth and northnorth):

(a) 35 per cent are from the south and live in the north.
(b) 37 per cent are from the south and live in the south.
(c) 23 per cent are from the north and live in the north.
(d) Only 5 per cent are from the north and live in the south.

According to the Population Division of UN DESA, the international migrant
stock has risen from 154 million in 1990 to 237 million in 2015, with Europe and
Asia hosting the largest number of international migrants.49 However, the World
Bank suggests that, using newly available census data, the stock of international
migrants is estimated at 247 million in 2013, significantly larger than the previous
estimate of 232 million, and is expected to surpass 250 million in 2015.50

UN DESA notes that most international migration occurs within regions:
for Africa, the percentage of migrants within Africa stood at a high 82 per cent in
2013 (down from 86% in 1990).51 Women accounted for about half (48%) of all
international migrants in 2013.52

There are substantial remittance flows to the developing world:

Figure 2: International remittance flows

Source: World Bank, 2015a, p. 3.

49 UN DESA, Key trends in international migration (Expert Group Meeting on The Post-2015 Era: Implications for
the Global Research Agenda on Population and Development (UN, New York, 10 April 2015). Available from
www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/events/pdf/expert/22/2015-EGM_Migration.pdf (accessed
on 18 September 2015).

50 World Bank, 2015a, p. 1.
51 See par. C.2.2. below other sources estimate the Africa intraregional rate of migration at 65 per cent. See

also ILO, International labour migration: A rights-based approach (ILO, Geneva, 2010), p. 17.
52 UN DESA, 2015.

23Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Remittances comprise both social remittances, including education and
gender equality, and financial inflows. Regarding the latter, migrants remittances
to developing countries are estimated to have reached USD 436 billion in 2014.53

Finally, it is important to take note of the prominence given to issues
of migration within the framework of the newly adopted Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). The UN Secretary-Generals Synthesis Report notes
the interrelationship between the SDGs and migration.54 In its call for equality,
equity and inclusion, the report indicates that no one should be left behind;
special attention should be paid to the people, groups and countries most in
need. These include vulnerable groups, such as migrants, refugees and displaced
persons, as well as those affected by climate change and those living in places
struck by complex medical and humanitarian emergencies.55 The report further
notes that ensuring that all people, including among others migrants have
decent employment, social protection and access to financial services, will be a
hallmark of economic success.56 It stresses that efforts should be intensified to
reduce costs on the transfer of remittances in a manner fully respecting the rights
of migrants and welcome the commitment of the countries of the Group of 20
to reduce the global average cost of transferring remittances to 5 per cent.57 The
importance of migration data is also highlighted: Mechanisms to review the
implementation of the goals will be needed, and the availability of and access
to data would need to be improved, including the disaggregation of information
by gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location
and other characteristics relevant to national contexts.58 What is needed is a
global compact: Societies are under serious strain, stemming from the erosion
of our common values, climate change and growing inequalities, to migration
pressures and borderless pandemics.59

The link with migration is evident as far as several of the specific SDGs
are concerned. This is the case even where the link is not explicitly mentioned.
One such example is SDG 3, which emphasizes ensuring healthy lives and the
promotion of well-being for all ages. Another example is SDG 11, which places
the focus on making cities and human settlement inclusive, safe, resilient and

53 World Bank, 2015a, p. 1.
54 UN, The road to dignity by 2030: ending poverty, transforming all lives and protecting the planet (Synthesis

report of the Secretary-General on the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, 4 December 2014).
Available from www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/69/700&Lang=E (accessed on 16 October
2015).

55 Ibid., pp. 1112 (par. 51). See also p. 17 (par. 68).
56 Ibid., p. 18 (par. 72).
57 Ibid., p. 25 (par. 117).
58 Ibid., p. 7 (par. 46).
59 Ibid., p. 33 (par. 157).

24 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

sustainable. More explicit references to migration are contained in the following
SDGs (emphasis added):

Table 3: Sustainable Development Goals and migration

SDG Target/Indicator Migrant/migration reference

SDG 8 (Decent Work and
Economic Growth)

Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments
for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants,
and those in precarious employment (8.8)

SDG 10 (Reduce inequality
within and among countries)

Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility
of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-
managed migration policies (10.7)

SDG 10 (Reduce inequality
within and among countries)

By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant
remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per
cent (10.c)

SDG 11 (Make cities
and human settlements
inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable)

By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements
adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion,
resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience
to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework
for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at
all levels (11.b)

SDG 17 (Strengthen the
means of implementation
and revitalize the global
partnership for sustainable
development)

By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries,
including for least developed countries and small island developing States,
to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable
data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory
status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in
national contexts (17.18) (Relevant topic Targets: Data, monitoring and
accountability)

Source: UN DESA, Division for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Goals. Available from https://sustainabledevelopment.
un.org/topics (accessed on 19 September 2015).

Note should also be taken of the emphasis placed on human trafficking in
the SDGs:

(a) SDG 5 on achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls requires the elimination of all forms of violence
against all women and girls in the public and private spheres,
including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation (5.2).

(b) SDG 8 on the promotion of sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work
for all enjoins countries to take immediate and effective measures
to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking
and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of
child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by
2025, end child labour in all its forms (8.7).

25Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(c) SDG 16 on the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development, provision of access to justice for all and
the building of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all
levels emphasizes the ending of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and
all forms of violence against and torture of children (16.2).

c.2.2. african migration trends and characteristics60

Salient details concerning migration in the African context include the
following:

(a) There were 18.6 million migrants in Africa in 2013.
(b) 31.3 million African people are living in countries other than their

birthplace.
(c) Half of African migrants stay in Africa.
(d) 65 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa migrants remain in sub-Saharan

Africa:
(i) 7180 per cent in West Africa

(ii) 66 per cent in Southern Africa
(iii) 52 per cent in East Africa
(iv) 23 per cent in Central Africa
(v) 6 per cent in North Africa

(e) Several drivers inform labour migration within and from Africa:
(i) Demographic pressures, in particular ageing and increasing

deficits in labour forces: Africa confronts a growing, educated
youthful population.

(ii) Jobless growth and a dearth of decent work opportunities.
(iii) Growing inequalities between and within countries (rising

exclusion).
(iv) Fragility of States breakdown of effective governance.
(v) Globalized access to information.

(vi) Global skills shortage, which is set to worsen:
‹ In 2006, 4.3 million shortage of health workers (WHO) and

will reach 12.9 million in 2035.
‹ McKinsey Global Institute study calculated that by 2020,

global shortages of high-skilled professionals will reach 38
million to 40 million fewer workers with tertiary education
(college or postgraduate degrees) than employers will need.

60 See UN DESA, 2013b; AUC-ILO-IOM-UNECA-RECs, AUC/ILO/IOM/ECA Joint Labour Migration Programme
Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration in Africa: A bold new initiative, PowerPoint
presentation (2015) and World Bank, 2015a.

26 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(f) Remittances to sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to have increased
to USD 32.0 billion in 2014, with particularly strong growth in Kenya,
South Africa and Uganda.

(i) Remittances to sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to have
increased to USD 32.0 billion in 2014, with particularly strong
growth in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

(ii) Nigeria alone accounts for around two thirds of total remittance
inflows to the region.

(iii) In some countries, remittances constitute a large percentage
of GDP: Remittances in Comoros, Gambia, Lesotho and Liberia
equal about 20 per cent of GDP.

(iv) Remittances financed one third of imports in Nigeria in 2013.

Labour migration, especially within Africa, has for long been a hallmark
of migration by Africans. ILO estimated the number of migrant workers in
Africa at 8.4 million in 2010, out of an estimated 105.4 million economically
active migrants worldwide. The position of migrant workers in Africa has been
summarized in the following terms:

Box 4: Migrant workers in Africa

As African economies are largely dominated by urban informal economy and agriculture, migrant workers in
the continent are often found in settings characterized by low incomes and wages, lack of social protection,
precarious jobs and workplaces, abysmal working conditions, and low skills portfolios. Many migrants are
self-employed or employed in agriculture and informal activity, while significant numbers may be found in
industry and services.

There is also significant cross-border, circular mobility of commercial tradespeople, accompanied by
increased cross-border trade flows that promote local growth and employment.

Source: ILO, 2010a, p. 17.

Travel within the continent remains difficult and visa requirements
stringent for African migrants. The state of implementation of existing provisions
relating to the right of residence and establishment is even more limited.
Migration within the continent remains governed by national legislations, which
often discriminate on the basis of nationality.

Smuggling and its dramatic consequences are well documented. There are
a number of key mixed migration routes originating particularly from East Africa
and the Horn of Africa: the western route (via Sudan, into Libya and across the
Mediterranean); the northern route (Egypt and into Israel severely restricted
as of mid-2012); the southern route (down the Eastern Corridor towards South

27Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Africa); and the eastern route (into Yemen to Saudi Arabia and beyond).61
Trafficking is widespread, both internally within countries and cross-border,
affecting in particular women and children.62 Forced labour is the most frequently
detected form of trafficking in Africa (49%), followed by sexual exploitation (36%).
Policy responses to the phenomenon remain incomplete, although significant
progress has been made with the ratification and domestication of the Palermo
Protocol on trafficking.

Table 4: Human trafficking in Africa

Year Prosecutions Convictions Victims identified New or amended legislation

2008 109 (18) 90 (20) 7,799 10

2009 328 (47) 117 (30) 10,861 8

2010 272 (168) 163 (113) 9,626 5

2011 340 (45) 217 (113) 8,900 (5,098) 2

2012 493 (273) 252 (177) 10,043 (6,544) 4

2013 572 (245) 341 (192) 10,096 (2,250) 7

2014 811 (49) 317 (33) 9,523 (1,308) 4

Source: US Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) (July 2015), p. 55.

Note: The statistics above are estimates only, given the lack of uniformity in national reporting structures. The numbers in parentheses
are those of labour trafficking prosecutions, convictions and victims identified. The number of victims identified includes
information from foreign governments and other sources.

Sub-Saharan Africa was host to almost 2.8 million refugees out of
15.4 million globally in 2012. South Africa was the third receiver of asylum
applications worldwide in 2012.63 In addition, more than a third of the worlds
28.8 million conflict internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2012 were displaced
in Africa.

61 Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat, Responses to mixed migration in the Horn of Africa & Yemen: Policies
and assistance responses in a fast-changing context (Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat, Nairobi, Kenya,
2013).

62 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2012 (UNODC,
Vienna, 2012).

63 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Global Trends 2012. Displacement, the New 21st
Century Development Challenge (UNHCR, Geneva, 2013).

28 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

C.2.3. Migration from a Southern African Development
Community perspective: Trends and characteristics64

Box 5: Migration in the Southern African Development Community: An overview

In 2013 [&], the Southern African region recorded over four million migrants, excluding irregular migrants,
of which 44 per cent were female and 20 per cent were under 19 years of age. By far the largest number
of migrants is found in South Africa (2.4 million, including some 1.5 million from Zimbabwe) followed by
the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC] (447,000) and Zimbabwe (361,000). Among the four million
migrants are approximately 200,000 registered refugees, primarily in the DRC and South Africa.

The Southern Africa region continues to experience a significant rise in mixed and irregular migration
flows. These flows originate mostly from the Horn of Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Somalia, and consist
of refugees, asylum-seekers, economic migrants, and victims of trafficking, including women and children.
The large majority of these migrants attempt to reach their destinations through established smuggling
and trafficking networks. At least 20,000 migrants travel through the Great Lakes and [Southern African
Development Community] SADC regions to try to reach South Africa each year. Human rights violations and
the lack of protection of migrants, including from extortion, abandonment and physical, and to a certain
extent sexual, violence continue to be a harsh reality for these mobile populations. In addition, relatively
large mobile populations move between Angola and the DRC, as well as from Zimbabwe to South Africa, and
often prompt the affected governments to take measures to promote the departure of irregular migrants.
Insecurity, lack of economic livelihood, drought and crop failure are some of the push factors that motivate
migrants seeking better opportunities to undertake risky migratory routes. Labour migration remains one
of the dominant forms of population movement in the region. Some migrants experience xenophobia,
including negative social attitudes, discrimination and at times violence.

Source: IOM, Regional Strategy for Southern Africa 20142016 (IOM Regional Office Pretoria, South Africa, 2014). Available from
www.iom.int/sites/default/files/country/docs/AUP00579-RO-Pretoria-Regional-Strategy.pdf, p. 7.

Migration in the SADC context confirms many of the international trends
indicated above.65 As has been noted, Southern African cross-border mobility
tends to occur within the region or with neighbouring regions, while only
a small percentage moves overseas, confirming the southsouth nature of
SADC migration.66 In fact, intra-SADC movement is the prevailing characteristic
of migration from SADC countries.67 It has been estimated that in 2005, over

64 See M. Olivier, Social security developments in the SADC Region and future prospects for coordination.
In: Social Security and Migrant Workers: Selected studies of cross-border social security mechanisms (R.
Blanpain, P. Ortiz, G. Vonk and M. Olivier, eds.) (Kluwer, 2014), pp. 8286, from where part of the text below
has been adjusted.

65 Currently, SADC has 15 Member States, namely Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, United
Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It has a population size of 257.7 million inhabitants, and an
aggregate GDP of 471.1 USD billion (www.sadc.int/about-sadc/).

66 P. Mudungwe, Migration and Development in the Southern Africa Development Community: The Case for a
Coherent Approach (Intra-ACP Migration Facility, 2012), p. 45.

67 See M. Olivier, Political and regulatory dimensions of access, portability and exclusion: Social security for
migrants, with an emphasis on migrants in Southern Africa. In: Migration and Social Protection: Claiming
social rights beyond borders (R. Sabates-Wheeler and R. Feldman, eds.) (Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire,
2011), pp. 118119; M. Olivier (2011), Enhancing access to South African social security benefits by SADC
citizens: The need to improve bilateral arrangements within a multilateral framework (Part I), SADC Law
Journal, 1:123127. See the migration data for SADC: Global Migrant Origin Database Version 4. Available
from www.migrationdrc.org/research/typesofmigration/Global_Migrant_Origin_Database_Version_4.xls.

29Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

90 per cent of migrants in Southern Africa were from within the region.68 For
example, in South Africa, the major migrant-receiving country within SADC,69
migrants from within SADC constitute 94 per cent of the total stock of African
migrants70 and around 75 per cent of all (regular) migrants in the country.71 In
addition, a recent study of migration within Southern Africa revealed that 86
per cent of the total number of migrants from Botswana, Lesotho, Southern
Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe work in South Africa, confirming a
clear trend, namely that most southsouth migrants travel across contiguous
borders.72 In particular, it has been said that the main destination for migrants
from Lesotho, a landlocked country with limited employment opportunities, is
South Africa; 99.8 per cent of Lesotho migrant workers are said to work in South
Africa.73

Table 5: Regional migration statistics (Southern Africa), 2013

Country Total migrants

% of
females/

males

Number
of

children

Largest age range (2064) Number of
refugees

(End 2012)Total Males Females

Angola 87,400 52% / 48% 24,647 59,170 30,591 28,579 23,400

Botswana 146,500 45% / 55% 33,549 107,678 61,376 46,301 2,800

Comores 12,500 51% / 49% 2,863 9,113 4,465 4,647 -

Democratic
Republic of the
Congo

446,900 52% / 48% 108,150 316,405 148,710 167,695 65,100

Lesotho 3,100 35% / 65% 1,104 1,934 1,263 671 -

Madagascar 34,300 45% / 26% 12,177 21,060 11,920 9,140 -

Malawi 206,600 52% / 48% 50,617 132,406 63,423 68,984 6,500

Mauritius 45,000 61% / 39% 6,930 37,035 14,629 22,406 -

68 Mudungwe, 2012, p. 45.
69 Political migration has largely been the result of instability in countries, such as the Democratic Republic of the

Congo and earlier, Angola and Mozambique. Economic migration, which appears to be the most important
driver of migration worldwide, has resulted in the flow of migrants to countries with better economies and
skills shortages within SADC, namely Botswana, Namibia and especially South Africa. See M. Olivier, Regional
Overview of Social Protection for Non-Citizens in the Southern African Development Community (SADC),
Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0908 (World Bank, Washington, D.C., 2009). Available from http://
siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-papers/Labor-Market-DP/0908.
pdf, p. 10 and the studies referred to there.

70 See J. Crush and V. Williams (2010), Labour Migration Trends and Policies in Southern Africa, Southern
African Migration Project (SAMP) Policy Brief 23, p. 5.

71 Ibid., p. 7.
72 W. Pendleton et al. (2006), Migration, Remittances and Development in Southern Africa, SAMP Migration

Policy Series No. 44, pp. 23; R. Sabates-Wheeler and J. Koettl (2010), Social protection for migrants: The
challenges of delivery in the context of changing migration flows, International Social Security Review,
63(34): 116.

73 J. Crush et al., Migration, Remittances and Development in Lesotho (SAMP, Idasa, Cape Town and Southern
African Research Centre, Queens University, Canada, 2010), p. 26.

30 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Mozambique 218,800 39% / 61% 87,082 125,591 77,490 48,101 4,400

Namibia 51,400 47% / 53% 10,691 33,153 30,209 15,416 1,800

Seychelles 12,100 30% / 70% 1,222 10,515 7,571 2,944 -

South Africa 2,399,200 42% / 58% 391,070 1,861,779 1,118,929 742,850 65,200

Swaziland 25,500 46% / 55% 4,514 191,251 107,100 84,150 500

Zambia 98,900 50% / 51% 25,417 67,450 34,399 33,050 25,600

Zimbabwe 361,000 43% / 57% 63,175 24,711 14,703 10,008 4,300

Region 4,149,200 44% / 55% 823,208 2,999,251 1,726,778 1,284,942 199,600

Source: Adjusted from IOM, 2014a, p. 7 and based on UN DESA, Population Division, International Migration 2013 Wallchart (United
Nations, New York, 2013). Available from www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/migration/
migration-wallchart2013.pdf

In fact, migration has been a long-standing feature of the labour market
framework in Southern Africa, particularly as far as work on the mines and in
agriculture is concerned.74 Apart from informal cross-border trade-related
migration, work on the mines again, particularly in South Africa served
as a magnet for both internal and external migrants.75 As a result, it could be
argued that the industrial development of some countries in the region was
made possible only by the use of labour from other countries. From a historical
perspective, as supported by data on modern-day migration movements within
SADC, it can be said that systems of labour migration in Southern Africa are
deeply entrenched and have become part of the movements of people for
generations, primarily in search of better living and working conditions.76

While many cross-border migrants in Southern Africa are circular migrants,
migration patterns within SADC have largely been characterized by their
permanent or ongoing nature.77 Once immigration linkages are established, they
are very difficult to break, and migration flows are almost impossible to reverse.78
This is particularly true of the mining and agricultural industries in Southern
Africa. Migration is essentially regarded as a career rather than as a passing

74 Cf. C. Fenwick and E. Kalula (2005), Law and labour market regulation in East Asia and southern Africa:
Comparative perspectives, International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations,
21:193226.

75 See generally J. Crush, V. Williams and S. Peberdy, Migration in Southern Africa (A paper prepared for the
Policy Analysis and Research Programme of the Global Commission on International Migration) (Global
Commission on International Migration, 2005), pp. 1516.

76 Ibid., pp. 56.
77 Circular or seasonal migrants, who in the case of SADC, include seasonal agricultural workers in border

areas, construction workers, informal cross-border traders, move for short periods from their country of
usual residence to one or more countries for purposes of employment or to conduct an economic activity
(Mudungwe, 2012), p. 49.

78 M. Reitzes (2003), Regionalizing international migration: Lessons for SADC, SAMP Migration Policy Brief No.
11, p. 18.

31Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

phase in the working lives of migrants, despite the fact that they maintain strong
links with the home country.79 This also flows from the fact that, according to a
relatively recent study, more migrants from the countries concerned80 are older,81
married,82 and, in most cases, heads of households.83 In addition, the study
indicates that many migrant-sending households have a migration tradition
that is passed on from one generation to the next in that parents and even
grandparents worked outside the home country.84 Furthermore, it is generally
accepted that SADC-related migration is characterized by several dimensions,
including contract labour migration,85 declining levels of legal migration to and
within the region and an increase in clandestine and undocumented (irregular),86
as well as informal migration;87 and an increased feminization of cross-border
migration.88

79 Pendleton et al., 2006, p. 4.
80 That is, (migration from) Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zim babwe (Pendleton et al., 2006,

p. 1).
81 Only 7 per cent of the migrants covered in the survey were under the age of 25; in contrast, 41 per cent were

over 40 (Pendleton, et al., 2006, p. 2). See also Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, pp. 2123.
82 As many as 62 per cent of the migrants covered by the survey were married (Pendleton et al., 2006, p. 2).
83 Just over half the migrants were actually the head of the household rather than an ordinary member of it,

although the pattern differed from country to country (Pendleton et al., 2006, pp. 23).
84 About 50 per cent of the migrants covered in the survey indicated that their parents had been cross-border

migrants (Pendleton et al., 2006, p. 3).
85 See Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, p. 7 and Mudungwe, 2012, p. 48.
86 Irregular migration appears to be widespread and on the increase in Southern Africa, although the exact

numbers of irregular migrants are a subject of constant debate and conflicting opinion. It has been reported
that South Africa deported over 1.5 million irregular migrants to neighbouring countries between 1994 and
2010 (Mudungwe, 2012, pp. 4950; see also Crush and Williams, 2010).

87 Mudungwe, 2012, p. 50. This applies in particular to informal cross-border traders: for example, it has been
suggested that 3050 per cent of border crossings into South Africa, except from Namibia and Botswana,
are by small-scale traders (M. Olivier, Reflections on the feasibility of a multilateral SADC social security
agreement involving South Africa and Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe (ILO, Geneva, 2010),
par. 3235).

88 Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, p. 14; IOM and SAMP, HIV/AIDS, Population Mobility and Migration in
Southern Africa: Defining a Research and Policy Agenda (SAMP and IOM, 2005), p. 17; Mudungwe, 2012,
p. 48.

32 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

There has also been an increase in human trafficking89 and internal and
external refugee movements,90 while skills flight (brain drain) to and the
growth of diaspora (particularly) in developed countries have been substantial.91
In fact, the very nature of migration within SADC is undergoing changes. It has,
in particular, been reported that the change has been dramatic over the last 20
years as far as, for example, Lesotho is concerned; the focus has shifted from
mainly male mineworkers to higher-income migrants, and also large numbers of
female migrants.92

Box 6: The significance of remittances in Southern Africa

The importance and role of migration in SADC countries is also demonstrated by the extent and significance
of remittances to the survival of recipient households, as they are fundamental in enabling families to
meet their everyday needs.93 For most migrant-sending households, migrant remittances comprise the
main source of household income: a recent study undertaken in five SADC countries found that 85 per
cent of migrant-sending households receive cash remittances.94 Lesotho is one of the most migration-
dependent countries in the world. A recent study indicates that formal remittance transfers constitute 28.6
per cent of Lesothos GDP. In 2012, it was, in relative terms, the second leading recipient country in the
world, after Tonga;95 remittance income in Lesotho surpasses other sources of external financial inflows.96

89 There is increasingly evidence of growing numbers of local smugglers and an expanding network of
transnational criminal syndicates involved in a diverse range of human trafficking activities (Crush, Williams
and Peberdy, 2005, pp. 2123, 2526; Mudungwe, 2012, p. 50). See generally US Department of State, 2015.

90 IDPs in SADC the result of, among others, political and military instability in some of the countries make
up 2.9 million of the approximately 13 million IDPs in Africa more than half of the global total of IDPs and
dwarfing the number of refugees (Brookings Institution University of Bern Project on Internal Displacement,
Regional Seminar on Internal Displacement in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region
(Gaborone, Botswana, 2426 August 2005), pp. 46); R. Black, Migration and Pro-Poor Policy in Africa,
Working Paper C6 (Development Research Centre on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty, University of
Sussex, 2004), p. 6. And yet the position is that a coordinated response to the challenge of internal and
external refugee movements is lacking in SADC: Individual countries are left to shoulder the burden as best
they can with support from international agencies. All are signatories to the major refugee conventions but
few have advanced or adequate systems of refugee determination in place. Regional burden sharing is a key
concept that SADC could easily turn into a reality (Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, pp. 1314).

91 While there is significant intraregional brain drain, especially from countries, such as Angola, Mozambique
and Zimbabwe to South Africa and Botswana in particular, this is counterbalanced by significant emigration
of SADC professionals to countries outside SADC. The health sector in SADC is most severely impacted by the
brain drain, with nearly 30 per cent of SADC-born physicians and 10 per cent of SADC-born nurses residing
outside their countries of birth. Major destinations for SADC health-care professions include Australia,
Canada, Portugal, United Kingdom and United States. See Crush and Williams, 2010, pp. 2729 and the
studies referred to there, as well as Mudungwe, 2012, pp. 4647.

92 L. Ntema et al., The levels of access to public services in the Free State by non-South Africans/non-Free State
residents (Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State, 2011), p. 59.

93 B. Dodson et al., Gender, migration and remittances in Southern Africa (Idasa, Cape Town, 2008), pp. 8, 30.
94 Pendleton et al., 2006, p. 4. Remittances are sent on a regular basis and easily outstrip agriculture in relative

importance as a household income source (Ibid., p. 5). In fact, the same study remarks that, across the
region as a whole, annual median income from wage employment and cash remittances is the same . . .
When cash and commodities are combined, however, the value of remittances exceeds all other forms of
income. (Ibid.).

95 J.L. Nalane, A. Chikanda and J. Crush, The remittances framework in Lesotho: Assessment of policies and
programmes promoting the multiplier effect (ACP Observatory on Migration and IOM, Brussels, Belgium,
2012), pp. xiiixiv, 1, 7.

96 Ibid.

33Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Remittances also play a significant role in the economic development of SADC countries. As remarked in a
recent study, and echoing the international experience in this regard:97 [F]or national economies, cross-
border remittances are a source of foreign exchange and taxes, contribute to the balance of payments, and
provide capital for enterprises and valuable household incomes.98 Therefore, SADC governments and even
international organizations have started to integrate remittances as a tool for development in their poverty
reduction strategies.99

SADC country and regional policy frameworks pertaining to migration and
the position of migrants, particularly in the host country context, need to take
these phenomena of intra-SADC migration into account. Incorrect and overly
restrictive policy choices may have a devastating effect on household survival
and poverty in the region.100

c.2.4. migration from a Namibian perspective

Historical context

Box 7: Migration impact of political liberation

Namibia won its independence from South Africa in 1990, and this political liberation heralded a new era
of border control between Namibia and South Africa, which had remained porous for both Namibians
and South Africans until that time. Tighter cross-border controls were accompanied by the total removal
of internal influx controls. Independence therefore brought with it considerable changes in the internal
migration patterns and population concentrations in the country. On the one hand, migratory labour to
South Africa all but ceased; yet, on the other hand, internal migration and urbanisation grew rapidly.

Source: B. Frayne and W. Pendleton (2002), Mobile Namibia: Migration Trends and Attitudes, Southern African Migration Project (SAMP)
Migration Policy Series No. 27, p. 1.

As indicated by these authors, because Namibia only became independent
in 1990,101 statistics were not kept for the former South West Africa, as the territory
was considered part of South Africa, and administered as a fifth province: Cross-
border movement between Namibia and South Africa was therefore unrecorded
until 1990, while formal cross-border movements between Namibia and its other
neighbours were virtually non-existent, due to the war in the northern areas of

97 C. Thouez, The impact of remittances on development. In: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
International Migration and the Millennium Development Goals, Selected papers of the UNFPA Expert Group
Meeting, 1112 May 2005, Marrakech, Morocco (UNFPA, New York, 2005).

98 Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, p. 18.
99 C. Ramírez, M. Domínguez and J Morais, Crossing Borders: Remittances, Gender and Development (Working

paper) (Instraw and United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2005), p. 52.

100 See Reitzes, 2003, p. 18.
101 Independence followed on a liberation struggle against the Government of South Africa, and the

involvement of the UN: the UN never recognized South African sovereignty over Namibia, as Namibia (then
South West Africa) was regarded as a trust area, the administration of which was handed to South Africa by
the predecessor of the UN, that is, the League of Nations.

34 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

the country, and the significant military presence and control of the borders.
There is therefore no substantial research available that addresses the complete
range of internal and international migration dynamics, particularly since 1980
the focus of migration research has been on internal and international migration
to Windhoek, and to a far less lesser degree, to other towns in Namibia.102

Historically, the first major migrations of people within Namibia and across
its borders in the last century commenced as a result of the German colonial
occupation of Namibia from 1890 onwards. Some urban migration to towns in
central Namibia, including Windhoek, took place. Conflict over land between the
Germans and the Hereros and the Namas resulted in anti-colonial revolts during
the 19031907 period. Large numbers of these two populations were killed,
which caused some of them to exile into present-day Botswana. During the first
World War, South Africa defeated the Germans and took control of the country,
then known as South West Africa, and acquired an official League of Nations
mandate over the territory. Due to extension of apartheid-era restrictions to
the country, movement of non-white residents in and out of the country was
limited. In addition, many South African whites moved to Namibia to participate
in the commercial farming sector.103

In the course of the liberation struggle, the South African military forces
moved large numbers of local inhabitants, often with devastating effects on the
rural populations. Considerable investment was made in roads, airports and
urban infrastructure, partly to facilitate the deployment of military power against
the liberation movement. About 40,000 Namibians went into exile primarily in
Angola and Zambia, as well as Europe, Cuba and North America. Most of them
returned to Namibia after independence. Frayne and Pendleton (2002) remark
that the cessation of the war, independence and a new sense of political social
and economic freedom, have all influenced the substantial changes in internal
and cross-border migration trends and patterns observed over the past decade
in Namibia.104

Key dimensions of Namibian migration. IOM summarizes the key
dimensions of Namibian migration in its Namibia Country Strategy 20132017
as follows:105

(a) High level of internal (ruralurban) migration: The rapid urbanization
reveals a high level of internal (ruralurban) migration, which can be

102 Ibid., pp. 12.
103 Ibid., p. 5.
104 Ibid.
105 IOM Namibia, 2013, pp. 1314, as adjusted.

35Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

explained by push and pull factors, such as political and economic
stability, historical and family ties, effects of climate change,
economic opportunities and potential employment, and better living
conditions, and access to services.

(b) Cross-border movement for family reasons: Having close links and
historic ties with its neighbouring countries, cross-border movement
for family reasons is very common in Namibia, the majority of which
is taking place across the Namibia/Angola borders in the north. This
also has spin-off effects on cross-border trade and investments. To
facilitate this regular migration across the border, the two countries
are exploring the possibility of implementing a border resident card
(BRC).

(c) Irregular migration, trafficking and smuggling: The vast land border
areas of the country also pose challenges to the regulation of
movement across borders, including risks of irregular migration,
trafficking and smuggling. This is reflected in the 2012, 2013, 2014
and 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) reports from the US State
Department where Namibia is ranked a Tier 2 Watch List country for
four years in a row.

(d) Regulation of movement: Founded in the Immigration Control Act
(Act no. 7 of 1993), where the migration mandate is derived from,
Namibia is making efforts to regulate unlawful migration and
facilitate the regular movement of people.

(e) Refugees and asylum-seekers: In addition, people forced to flee
their home countries seek refuge in Namibia for its political stability,
democracy and human rights. In 2012, the cessation clause for
Angolan refugees took effect and large numbers of people were
assisted with voluntary repatriation back to their home country. The
vast majority of the refugee population in Namibia now ordinarily
originates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (approximately
80%).

(f) Impact of rapid urbanization: Economic disparities and the quest for
greener pastures are reflected in rapid urbanization (42%), primarily
owing to ruralurban migration but also international migration.
With limited capacity of the economy to absorb additional job-
seekers, the effects of urbanization are felt in cities such as Windhoek
(hosting approximately 40% of the countrys urban population) with
constraints of urban planning, housing and social service delivery, as
well as hazards and DRM in urban areas. Limited access to affordable
housing and basic services, such as electricity, water and sanitation,
and health services, is increasingly posing challenges to peoples
well-being, particularly with expanding urban informal settlement.

36 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(g) Spaces of health vulnerabilities: Informal settlements are
thus examples of spaces of vulnerability areas with health
vulnerabilities owing to a mix of individual, environmental and
structural factors, and the relationship dynamic among migrants and
mobile populations on the one hand, and sedentary populations
on the other. Other examples of spaces of vulnerability include
land borders and border communities, ports, transport corridors
and hotspots, construction sites, mines and commercial farms. HIV
prevalence is reflected in areas with higher prevalence rates and
confirms the increased vulnerability in the northern border areas.
The vulnerability is apparent both at land borders and in ports of
transit, particularly the ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz.

(h) Migration and the HIV epidemic: Migration and population mobility
is further defined in the National Strategic Framework 2010/2011
2015/2016 as one of the key drivers of the HIV epidemic in Namibia.
Aspects of migration and health are thus critical for the countrys
development and well-being of people.

(i) Strengthening the migration management system: Migration is
however a dynamic issue and requires a multifaceted approach.
The MHAI, as the leading ministry, as well as other line ministries
and actors have initiated efforts to strengthen the migration
management system. These efforts include the following: (i) capacity-
building; (ii) migration policy development; (iii) skills gap analysis
and mainstreaming of skills importation from foreign nationals;
(iv) exploring possibilities of diaspora engagement; (v) new border
crossing points and border management; and (vi) bilateral and
regional agreements such as the BRC, as well as the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa-East Africa Community-Southern
African Development Community (COMESA-EAC-SADC) Tripartite
agreement on facilitation of movement of business persons within
the regional free trade area.

37Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Summarized migration-related information. Summarized migration-
related information on Namibia, contained in the World Banks publication on
World Development Indicators: Movement of people across borders as well as
information published by UN DESA, as at 2012 are as follows:106

(a) Net migration: -3,000107

(b) International migration stock: 54,787 (2013 figure), having constantly
decreased from a figure of 123,801 in 1990108

(c) Emigration rate of tertiary educated to Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries: 3,400

(d) Refugees:
(i) By country of origin: 1,100

(ii) By country of asylum: 1,800
(e) Personal remittances:

(i) Received: USD 15 million
(ii) Paid: USD 45 million

Regarding the 54,787 international migrants to Namibia, the main
countries of origin reflect the reality in most countries and parts of the world,
namely that migration mostly occurs within the same region, particularly in
countries sharing borders with the country of destination concerned. According
to UN DESA, 17,493 migrants originate from Angola, 7,203 from South Africa,
7,718 from Zambia and 3,601 from Zimbabwe.109

106 See World Bank, World Development Indicators: Movement of people across borders (2014 Global Links:
par 6.13) (2014). Available from http://wdi.worldbank.org/table/6.13 (accessed on 29 November 2014).
Migration stock refers to absolute numbers of migrants and does not indicate migration flows. Net
migration refers to the difference between the total number of those who migrated to and migrated from
Ethiopia in 2012. Refugees by country of origin generally refers to the number of refugees, with reference
to the nationality or country of citizenship of the refugee(s) concerned, while refugees by country of
asylum refers to the number of refugees who have applied for asylum or refugee status of a particular
country. The term remittances refers to personal transfers, that is, all current transfers in cash or in kind
made or received by resident households to or from non-resident households. Personal remittances is the
sum of personal transfers and compensation of employees. Personal transfers, a new item in the Balance
of Payments Manual 6th Edition (BPM6), represents a broader definition of worker remittances. Personal
transfers include all current transfers in cash or in kind between resident and nonresident individuals,
independent of the source of income of the sender (and regardless of whether the sender receives income
from labor, entrepreneurial or property income, social benefits, and any other types of transfers; or
disposes assets) and the relationship between the households (regardless of whether they are related or
unrelated individuals). see https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/114950-how-
do-you-define-remittances

107 Net migration is the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including citizens and non-
citizens, over a five-year period: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.NETM (accessed on 3 March
2016).

108 See http://esa.un.org/unmigration/TIMSA2013/Data/subsheets/UN_MigrantStock_2013T1.xls (accessed
on 29 May 2015) indicating that the figure for males is 27,047 and for females 24,401.

109 Ibid.

38 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Namibia signed the African Union Convention for the Protection and
Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa of 2009 (Kampala Convention)
on 23 October 2009, but has yet to ratify this Convention.110 One of the drivers of
internal migration, reported on in the context of the application of the Kampala
Convention, relates to the individuals displaced by rapid-onset disasters. For the
20082012 period, according to the Africa Union Commission, 126,400 persons
have been affected in Namibia.111

The overall figures of immigrants to and migrants from Namibia, provided
by UN DESA, reveal the following (the more comprehensive tables are indicated
in the relevant sections of this Profile below):

Table 6: Trends in international migrant stock, Namibia, 19902013

Total international migrant stock at mid-year by sex, 19902013

International migrant stock at mid-year (total male; female)

Total
1990 2000 2010 2013

123,801 79,276 54,787 51,448

Source: UN DESA, Population Division (2013), Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2013 Revision. Available from at http://esa.
un.org/unmigration/TIMSA2013/Data/subsheets/UN_MigrantStock_2013T3.xls

Table 7: Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants from Namibia Total migrant stock at
mid-year by origin, World total, 19902013

Major area,
region, country or
area of destination

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 1990

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2000

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2010

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2013

World 80,249 48,158 117,635 137,498

Source: UN DESA, Population Division (2013), Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants by destination and origin. Available from
http://esa.un.org/unmigration/TIMSO2013/data/subsheets/UN_MigrantStockByOriginAndDestination_2013T11.xls, Tables 1,
4, 7 and 10.

110 See www.au.int/en/sites/default/files/treaties/7796-sl-african_union_convention_for_the_protection_
and_assistance_of_internally_displaced_persons_in_africa_kampala_convention_11.pdf, accessed on 3
March 2016.

111 Africa Union Commission, The Kampala Convention One year on: Progress and prospects (African Union
Commission and Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Switzerland, 2013), Annex, p. 29.

39Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

PaRt D: miGRatiON tRENDS aND
cHaRactERiSticS

D.1. ARRIVALS, DEPARTURES, TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Arrivals and tourist statistics. Administrative data related to arrivals
by foreign tourists and visitors are collected at Namibian border posts. MHAI
made available the following information regarding international arrivals and
departures for the following years (from April to March of the next year):
20102011, 20122013 and 20132014.

Table 8: Total arrivals, 20102011, 20122013 and 20132014

Visitors Total 2010/2011 Total 2012/2013 Total 2013/2014
Namibians 432,394 499,240 489,600

Permanent resident permit holders 17,463 17,940 21,116

Temporary residence permit, Employment pass
and Special permit holders

49,095 46,610 51,793

Tourist/Holiday/Recreation 360,557 349,947 408,161

Visit friends and relatives 383,251 298,556 409,940

In transit/Stopover 45,616 48,089 54,245

Business/Conference/Professional 120,905 132,849 143,208

Diplomats 5,011 3,575 4,681

Others 244,223 307,008 659,657

Total arrivals 1,658,515 1,703,814 2,242,401

Sources: MHAI, Directorate of Immigration and Border Control Report 20102011, 20122013 and 20132014.

Table 9: Total departures, 20102011, 20122013 and 20132014

Visitors Total 2010/2011 Total 2012/2013 Total 2013/2014
Namibians 491,613 461,286 537,721

Permanent resident permit holders 15,830 17,365 19,497

Temporary residence permit, Employment pass
and Special permit holders

49,759 57,229 56,059

Tourist/Holiday/Recreation 350,077 342,640 435,207

Visit friends and relatives 366,660 282,020 370,257

In trans/Stopover 36,131 41,655 59,159

Business/Conference/Professional 109,773 123,787 138,975

Diplomats 4,604 3,692 7,455

Others 232,228 271,644 611,769

Total arrivals 1,656,675 1,601,318 2,236,099

Sources: MHAI, Directorate of Immigration and Border Control Report 20102011, 20122013 and 20132014.

40 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

On the basis of a manual exercise undertaken by the Ministry of
Environment and Tourism, comparative figures are annually published. The
2012 and 2013 comparative figures were published in 2014,112 while the 2014
figures were recently published.113 Regular (monthly) updates containing limited
tourism information appear on the NSA website.

Table 10: Number of foreign arrivals by nationality, 20112014

Nationality 2011 2012 2013 2014 % change 2014/2013
AFRICA 950,384 1,021,298 1,087,784 1,162,514 6.9%
South Africa 313,767 307,805 317,563 329,850 3.9%

Angola 403,487 421,528 477,828 519,191 8.7%

Botswana 34,956 29,401 36,556 40,311 10.3%

Zambia 127,645 181,244 167,044 167,407 0.2%

Zimbabwe 49,453 60,084 62,778 67,809 8.0%

Other Africa 21,076 21,236 26,014 37,946 45.9%

EUROPE 212,96 217,561 213,507 237,540 11.3%
Germany 85,977 86,011 84,121 91,900 9.2%

United Kingdom 24,856 24,163 25,351 29,016 14.5%

Italy 11,819 9,816 9,206 9,543 3.7%

France 14,432 17,063 16,837 20,549 22.0%

Scandinavia 11,181 12,084 9,163 11,365 24.0%

Austria 6,264 6,664 6,163 7,584 23.1%

Holland/Netherlands 13,093 12,624 10,782 12,015 11.4%

Switzerland 11,910 10,786 12,321 14,912 21.0%

Spain 6,651 5,610 6,195 6,825 10.2%

Portugal 10,775 14,963 15,574 16,855 8.2%

Belgium 6,360 6,062 7,935 7,960 0.3%

Russian Federation 2,785 3,032 2,452 2,660 8.5%

Other Europe 6,860 8,683 7,435 6,356 -14.5%

NORTH AMERICA 25,241 27,092 29,532 33,639 13.9%
United States 20,070 21,087 21,884 25,291 15.6%

Canada 5,171 6,005 7,648 8,348 9.2%

OTHER 29,646 34,488 41,779 43,900 5.1%
Australia 8,142 8,625 7,516 8,186 8.9%

Brazil 2,271 2,554 3,032 3,154 4.0%

China 4,970 6,441 10,734 11,681 8.8%

Other countries 14,263 16,868 20,498 20,878 1.9%

TOTAL 1,218,234 1,300,439 1,372,602 1,477,593 7.6%
% change per year 3.4% 6.7% 5.5% 7.6%

Source: Ministry of Environment and Tourism, 2015, p. 26.

112 Ministry of Environment and Tourism, 2014.
113 Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Tourist Statistical Report 2014 (Directorate of Tourism and Gaming,

August 2015).

41Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The key findings of the 2014 Tourist Statistical Report in relation to statistics
for 2014 are as follows (with some comparison with data for earlier years):114

(a) There were in total 1,477,593 foreign arrivals, including 1,320,062
tourists (89.3%).

(b) Tourist arrivals have seen a constant and significant increase 12.2
per cent from 2013 to 2014; 9 per cent from 2012 to 2013, and 5 per
cent from 2011 to 2012; the 9 per cent increase registered from 2012
to 2013 caused Namibia to be voted the fastest growing tourism
destination in the world.115

(d) The SADC figures are significant, emphasizing that most of the cross-
border movement to and from Namibia is in fact of a regional nature,
and that Angola and South Africa remain the two most important
countries of origin for tourists to Namibia: there were 470,747 tourists
from Angola, 312,153 from South Africa, 125,889 from Zambia and
61,187 from Zimbabwe. However, there were differences regarding
the purpose of the visits; by far the majority of tourists from Angola,
Zambia and Zimbabwe visited friends or relatives, while in the case
of South Africa, there were almost as many who came for holiday
(35.5%) than those who visited friends or relatives (38.1%). A sizeable
percentage of South African tourists (25.7%) came to Namibia for
business purposes.116

(e) In 2014, most of the tourists were male (63%), between 30 and 39
years (26%).

(f) The large-scale increase in tourist numbers did not translate in a more
comprehensive uptake in tourist accommodation. Recent statistics
from the NSA reveal that the room occupancy index declined to 84.7
basis points, which represents a decline of 31 per cent both on a
month-to-month and a year-to-year basis, respectively.117

114 See the Tourist Statistical Report for both 2014 and 20122013 (Ministry of Environment and Tourism),
as well as Afrika a la Carte Reisen, Besucherbilanz 2014: Namibia verzeichnet starkes Besucherplus aus
Europa (Afrika a la Carte Reisen, 01 09 2015, available from www.afrikaalacarte.de/aktuelles/18.htm);
2014 Tourist arrivals increase; majority Angola (Lela Mobile Online, 25 August 2015, available from www.
lelamobile.com/content/54297/2014-tourist-arrivals-increase-majority-Angola/); and NSA, Monthly
Tourism Report (Issue 018, 17 August 2015, available from http://cms.my.na/assets/documents/Monthly_
Tourism_Report3.pdf (accessed on 21 September 2015)).

115 According to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Honourable Uahekua Herunga: see J.-M. Smith,
Namibia Tourist arrivals skyrocket, Travel News Namibia, 4 November 2014. Available from http://
travelnewsnamibia.com/news/namibia-tourist-arrival-soar/#.VWFe602Jipo (accessed on 20 April 2015).

116 Ministry of Environment and Tourism, 2015, p. 18.
117 NSA, 2015c.

42 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

A report containing the outcomes of a 20122013 tourist exit survey was
published by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in 2013.118 As this was
an exit survey, undertaken on the basis of responses of a representative sample
of tourists (6,500 respondents) during selected survey periods and at selected
exit points, the data so obtained differ in several respects from those obtained
from the comprehensive collection of data on arrivals by foreign tourists and
visitors.119

Longer-term tourism growth. The 2014 World Travel and Tourism Council
Report on Namibia notes that the long-term tourism growth (20142024)
figures place Namibia within the range of the top-ranking countries in the world.
In particular, the 9.1 per cent growth over this period of the direct contribution
of travel and tourism to GDP makes Namibia the top-performing country in the
world; the corresponding figures in relation to travel and tourisms direct and
total contribution to employment respectively make Namibia the second top-
performing country in the world.120 More recently, the 2015 Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Index (TTCI) placed Namibia fourth among the leading sub-
Saharan African countries.121

Data shortcomings. Later in this Profile, more is said about the
shortcomings in the data context of tourism and travel statistics. It has to be
noted that MHAI does not produce any of the statistics indicated here; in fact,
entry and exit data collected at border posts are not published by the Ministry.
Also, not all the data are currently available in computerized format; however,
the Ministry has been working on and developing a system aimed at digitalizing
the data which, according to the Ministry, will for reasons of confidentiality not
be shared.

Value of reliable data. As also discussed in more detail later in the Profile,
the value of reliable data on tourism needs to be understood from the perspective
of the importance of this information for the development of Namibia.

118 Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Report on the Namibian Tourist Exit Survey 20122013 (April 2013),
p. 4.

119 Ibid., p. 7.
120 World Travel and Tourism Council, Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2014 Namibia (World Travel and

Tourism Council, London, United Kingdom), p. 10.
121 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (2015), Leading Sub-Saharan African countries in the Travel

& Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) in 2015, Statistica Inc. Available from www.statista.com/
statistics/186691/ttci-scores-of-countries-from-sub-saharan-africa-2011/ (accessed on 21 September
2015).

43Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

D.2. immiGRatiON

NSAs Migration Report defines international migration as the movement
of people between Namibia and other countries.122

D.2.1. Limited data and lack of digitalization

Limited information emanating from national sources is available
concerning the nature and extent of migration to and, in particular, from
Namibia. With the exception of entry and exit data, immigration data of an
administrative nature are difficult to obtain. A particular challenge is the lack of
digitalized information regarding the issuing of work permits.

Apparently, the MHAI has been working on and developing two systems
aimed at digitalizing certain data, while a third digitalized system is under way:123

(a) Border Control Management System: This covers entry and exit data
already installed in 2011; this now needs to be upgraded.

(b) Aliens Control System: This concerns data concerning work permit
and work visa applications work on this commenced in 2014. It is
important to note that the data so captured include the following:
(i) name of applicant; (ii) gender; (iii) (Namibian) occupation
concerned; (iv) duration of permit/visa concerned; (v) when
application was submitted; (vi) when application was considered;
and (vii) outcome of application; but apparently, not any data relating
to the nationality/country of origin of the applicant.

(c) Citizenship Automation System: A service provider tasked with
migrating data (in respect of citizenship applications) to digitalized
format has been identified work on this will commence soon.

It is important to note that, apparently, due to confidentiality arrangements
contained in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between MHAI and the
service provider, the digitalized data in relation to the Aliens Control System and
the Citizenship Automation System are not/will not be available to or accessible
by any third party.

122 NSA, 2015b, p. 15.
123 Consultation with Ms Elizabeth Negumbo, Head of Immigration Services, MHAI on 13 August 2015.

44 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

D.2.2. border management

Border management provides several challenges in the Namibian context.
The sheer extent of border crossings between, for example, Namibia and Angola
led to the conclusion of a bilateral agreement, already in 1996, between the
Government of Namibia and the Government of Angola on the introduction of
a BRC between the two countries, which would allow border residents to have
access to a 60-km zone in the neighbouring country without a passport.124 Data
to be captured on the border pass require preferably a digitalized system of
record-keeping and registration. It has specifically been recommended (as far
as Namibia is concerned) that the Population Registry database containing the
birth certificate numbers should be interlinked with the passport and national
ID databases, as well as the so-called ImmiPass. This is necessary to enable the
immigration staff to check the authenticity of a birth certificate or a national ID
prior to issuing a border pass.125 Also, further measures are needed to facilitate
the registration of the border population.

Finally, several information management measures have been
recommended, requiring a high degree of cooperation between Namibia and
Angola to design and implement a system that is interoperable with Namibias
ImmiPass and Angolas CAVIS.126

It is thus apparent that several measures of a data nature are required to
give effect to the envisaged BRC system. These measures require a high degree of
cross-border cooperation, the streamlining of information technology systems,
as well as legislative changes, to the extent required.

Finally, note should be taken of an envisaged IOM project to enhance
the capacity of the Government of Namibia to strengthen national responses
and promote regional responses to migration management in the Southern
African region, currently under development.127 The overall objective of the
proposed project would be to strengthen the capacity of the Government of
Namibia to address border management and border control matters as they
relate to Namibia and its neighbours, focusing on addressing the negative effect
poor migration governance can have and to increase coordination between the

124 L. Styp-Rekowska, Border Resident Card Assessment (African Capacity Building Centre, Moshi, United
Republic of Tanzania and IOM, 2013), p. 12. Eligible would be a border resident who has been living within
30 km from the border the past five years. Travel without a passport is allowed for 10 days at a time.

125 Ibid., p. 23.
126 Ibid., p. 35.
127 IOM, Enhancing the Capacity of the Government of Republic of Namibia to Strengthen National and

Promote Regional Responses to Migration Management in Southern African Region (2015).

45Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Government of Namibia and its neighbouring States with a focus on Integrated
Border Management (IBM), identification, protection inclusive of assistance to
vulnerable migrants, and victims of trafficking (VOTs).128

D.2.3. Population Census data

Based on answers to questions in the 2011 Population and Housing
Census in relation to immigrants and their country of citizenship, birth abroad
and country of origin, the report notes the following (underlining added):129

(a) Regarding country of citizenship, the census enumerated almost
68,000 non-citizens: About two-thirds of non-citizens (47,000)
indicated their usual resident is abroad, the vast majority of whom
were born in Africa (39,000). The other third of non-citizens (22,000)
resided in Namibia.

(b) As far as the foreign born are concerned, more than 93,000 residents
or about 4.5 per cent of the population in 2011 were born outside
of Namibia. The top five countries of origin were Angola (38,076),
South Africa (21,209), Zambia (10,299), Zimbabwe (5,770) and
Germany (3,670): These were also the top five countries of origin
for non-citizens, although for citizens Botswana replaces Zimbabwe
for the fourth spot. Aside from African countries and Germany the
top country of origin of the foreign born was China (1,241), of whom
82 were reported to be citizens.

These figures clearly highlight the fact that most of the migrants in Namibia
come from other African countries, particularly Southern African countries.

Furthermore, compared to citizens, non-citizens are disproportionately
male and concentrated at young and middle-age adults, with larger proportions
of both the best and least educated.130

128 Ibid., p. 2.
129 NSA, 2015b, pp. iii, 16.
130 Ibid., p. iii.

46 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Figure 3: Non-citizens by age and sex

Source: NSA, 2015b, p. 17 (Figure 4.1).

D.2.4. International sources

The key international data source regarding immigration to Namibia is
that of UN DESA. The following statistics are provided for the period 19902013:

Table 11: Trends in international migrant stock, Namibia, 19902013

Total international migrant stock at mid-year by sex, 19902013

International migrant stock at mid-year (total male; female)

Total
1990 2000 2010 2013

123,801 79,276 54,787 51,448

International migrant stock at mid-year (male)

Male
1990 2000 2010 2013

66,073 41,938 28,844 27,047

International migrant stock at mid-year (female)

Female
1990 2000 2010 2013

57,728 37,338 25,943 24,401

47Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

International migrant stock as a percentage of the total population by sex, 19902013

International migrant stock as a percentage of the total population (total, male; female), per cent

Total
1990 2000 2010 2013

8.7 4.2 2.5 2.2

International migrant stock as a percentage of the total population (male), per cent

Male
1990 2000 2010 2013

9.6 4.5 2.7 2.4

International migrant stock as a percentage of the total population (female), per cent

Female
1990 2000 2010 2013

8.0 3.9 2.3 2.1

Female migrants as a percentage of the international migrant stock

Per cent
1990 2000 2010 2013

46.6 47.1 47.4 47.4

Source: UN DESA, 2013b, Tables 1, 3 and 4.

The data so provided indicate a lower number of migrants in Namibia
(51,448) in 2013 than the number provided in the 2011 Census (93,000). The
corresponding percentage of migrants (as a percentage of the total population)
is therefore also much lower than the Census figure: 2.2 per cent versus 4.5 per
cent (male and female). The UN DESA data indicate a clear trend of reduced
numbers of migrants since 1990 the overall figure of 123,801 (8.7% of the
population) in 1990 was reduced to 51,448 (2.2% of the population) in 2013.
Finally, according to the UN DESA data, 47.4 per cent of all migrants in 2013 were
female, indicating less of a gender imbalance than that portrayed by the Census
figures.

D.2.5. Education and employment of non-citizens

Concerning education, employment and occupation, based on an analysis
of the Census results, NSAs Migration Report finds the following:131

(a) Education attainment of non-citizens and citizens varies considerably.
Non-citizens display higher proportions of both better and lesser
educated people.

(b) Non-citizens are more likely to be employed.
(c) Non-citizens include higher proportions of managers, professionals

and technicians. That said, the proportion of non-citizens working in
elementary positions (16%) is the same as for citizens.

131 Ibid., pp. 1718 (Figures 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4).

48 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Figure 4: Citizens and non-citizens Proportion distribution by occupation

Source: NSA, 2015b, p. 18 (Figure 4.4).

As indicated above, data concerning work permits and work visas are
available, but not accessible. It is therefore not possible to gain a picture, from
the perspective of approved work permits and work visas, of the employment of
non-citizens in Namibia. The recent occupational skills audit survey (undertaken
by MLIREC) may help to shed some light on this matter; however, at the time of
the compilation of this draft Profile, the survey results were not yet available.

D.2.6. Foreign students and staff

Data provided by the Namibian National Council for Higher Education
(NCHE) illustrate that the majority of foreign students originate from other
African, and in particular Southern African countries.

49Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Table 12: Foreign and Namibian students, by gender country of origin (extract: 10 students or
more from a foreign country)

Institutions name Total, All institutions

Country of citizenship Male Female Not stated Total

Angola 570 386 - 956

Botswana 70 95 - 165

Burundi 6 4 - 10

China 8 3 - 11

Congo 39 28 - 67

Democratic Republic of the Congo (ex-Zaire) 13 10 - 23

Germany 4 11 - 15

India 7 9 - 16

Kenya 23 11 - 34

Lesotho 3 8 - 11

Namibia 15,267 27,548 8 42,823

Namibia Permanent Residence 16 11 - 27

Nigeria 29 29 - 58

Not stated 291 446 - 737

Rwanda 8 4 - 12

South Africa 19 40 - 59

Swaziland 5 6 - 11

United Republic of Tanzania 33 25 - 58

Uganda 16 14 - 30

Zambia 408 391 - 799

Zimbabwe 440 473 - 913

Total 17,343 29,612 8 46,963

Source: Data provided by the NCHE.

The total number of Namibian and non-Namibian students are as follows:

Table 13: Total number of foreign and Namibian students

Foreign and Namibian students, total

Female Male Not stated Total

Namibian 27,548 15,267 8 42,823

Non-Namibian 2,064 2,076 0 4,140

Total 29,612 17,343 8 46,963

Source: Data provided by the NCHE and converted into the table by Ms Ester Mabunda, Migration Profile Assistant Consultant. See
Appendix II for a more comprehensive table.

50 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The total number of staff at higher education institutions, from Namibia
and from other countries, is indicated below:

Table 14: Namibian and foreign staff (from selected countries at least five staff members per
country concerned)

Analysis of Namibian and foreign staff Reflecting countries from where at least five staff members
originate

Total Female Male Not stated

Total, all countries 2,921 1,244 1,664 13

Total 2,861 1,226 1,622 0

Angola 6 3 3 0

Australia 9 4 5 0

Botswana 8 4 4 0

Britain 14 1 13 0

Burundi 7 0 7 0

Cameroon 5 0 5 0

China 7 3 4 0

Congo 12 1 11 0

Ethiopia 5 1 4 0

Germany 38 11 27 0

Ghana 17 17 0

India 32 12 20 0

Kenya 38 11 27 0

Malawi 25 5 20 0

Namibia 1,952 995 957 0

Nigeria 90 11 79 0

Rwanda 10 4 6 0

South Africa 92 46 46 0

United Republic of Tanzania 31 4 27 0

Uganda 21 7 14 0

United Kingdom 6 2 4 0

United States 17 4 13 0

Zambia 54 8 46 0

Zimbabwe 264 51 213 0

Not stated 101 38 50 13

Source: Data provided by the NCHE and converted into the table by Ms Ester Mabunda, Migration Profile Assistant Consultant.
See Appendix II for a more comprehensive table. Data exclude information that could not be obtained from the following:
(a) Headstart Montessori Teacher Training Co; (b) ILSA Independent College; (c) Institute of Open Learning (IOL) (d) Triumphant
College; and (e) Namibia College of Open Learning (NAMCOL).

51Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The number of staff at higher education institutions, disaggregated by
country of origin and gender, provides the following picture:

Table 15: Namibian and foreign staff, disaggregated by country of origin and gender

Gender as per institution

Institution Female Male Not stated Total

University of Namibia Namibian 835 831 0 1,666

Non-Namibian 90 226 0 316

Polytechnic* Non-Namibian 128 412 0 540

Lingua Namibian 31 14 0 45

Non-Namibian 7 18 0 25

Monitronics College Namibian 3 5 0 8

Non-Namibian 2 8 0 10

Namibia Evangelical Theological
Seminary

Namibian 7 8 0 15

Non-Namibian 2 10 0 12

Institute of Bankers Namibian 7 8 0 15

Non-Namibian 0 2 0 2

Paulinium Namibian 1 4 0 5

Non-Namibian 0 1 0 1

International University of
Management

Namibian 111 87 0 198

Non-Namibian 20 30 0 50

Not stated 13 13

Total 1,244 1,664 13 2,921

*Note that the Polytechnic of Namibia only provided data on foreign staff and none on Namibians.

The number of staff at higher education institutions, disaggregated by age
cohort, is as follows:

Table 16: Namibian and foreign staff, disaggregated by age cohort

Age cohort Namibian Non-Namibian Not stated Total

<30 years 418 50 0 468

3050 years 1,135 239 0 1,374

>50 years 399 127 0 526

Not stated 0 0 13 13

1,952 416 13 2,381

52 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

D.2.7. Migration, health and well-being

The Namibia Human Rights Action Plan 20152019 lists the key shortcoming
cross-border health issues not receiving adequate attention for border towns.132

Health-related data concerning internal and external migrants are hard to find.
As indicated earlier in this report, none of the indicators investigated in the 2013
DHS, nor any of the questionnaire questions, refer to migrant or nationality
status. Based on the data obtained through the DHS, it is therefore not possible
to obtain a picture of the extent to which the data may apply to short- and long-
term migrants, or to internal or external migrants. More indirectly, presumably
Angolans utilizing Namibian health facilities may be affected by the general
picture appearing from the DHS, namely that northern Namibia is chronically
underperforming as regards health indicators. However, the extent to which
this affects Angolans needs to be determined through an appropriate scoping
study. It was intended to develop a Namibia Migration and Health Promotion
Strategy133 this, however, would need to be informed by appropriate data in
relation to access to health services by internal and external migrants, under
the IOM-initiated and -supported Southern and East African-based Partnership
on Health and Mobility in East and Southern Africa (PHAMESA) II programme.
This process was guided by the TWG on Migration and Health, under the lead
of MOHSS. Discussions are still ongoing on this matter. WHO confirmed that it
is in principle supporting the Government of Namibia with the strengthening
of a Health Information System; however, the Government has yet to indicate
what kind of system in this regard it would prefer.134 Note should be taken of
the fact that the TWG also aimed at better integrating migration data into health
monitoring systems, a process that will need time to develop.

Permanent residents are entitled to benefit from low-cost State housing
for the elderly poor.135 Further information related to, among others, access to
health facilities by foreigners could not be obtained, although there is a perception
that health services are more expensive for non-Namibians. The WHO confirmed
that it has no such data available. It has also been noted that in Namibia, there
is very limited reliable evidence on the geographical accessibility and quality
of maternal and child health services in migration-affected communities in
Namibia. An inventory has been conducted on 396 health services facilities by
MOHSS in 2012, but the information, specifically on maternal and child health

132 Republic of Namibia, National Human Rights Action Plan 20152019, p. 7.
133 IOM, Baseline assessment of Maternal and Child Health Service Availability in Namibian Border Oshikango,

Omahenene, Katwitwo and Calai (Proposal, 2015), p. 6.
134 Consultation with the WHO Representative, Professor Monir Islam, on 11 August 2015.
135 MOHSS, Directorate of Social Welfare Services, Procedural guideline for the management of housing

units provided by the government for independent low-income older people in Namibia (MOHSS and ICF
International, 2010), p. 20.

53Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

services in migration-affected communities in Namibia, is not available and is
reported to be outdated.136 There is a concentration of services in northern
areas, but it has been suggested that such information is much needed to inform
needs-tailored service delivery package in these areas.137 However, from a social
service perspective, counselling and related services were made available to 17
human trafficking victims over the period April 2014 to March 2015 as also
indicated below.138

According to the Government of Namibia, all refugee children receive the
same health services as Namibian children, including immunizations and access
to antiretrovirals.139

D.2.8. Involuntary migration Refugee protection

The latest available United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) data on refugees and asylum-seekers indicate the following:

Box 8: Overview Refugees and asylum-seekers in Namibia

" At the peak of the civil war in Angola, Namibia hosted about 20,000 refugees; 10,00015,000 Angolan
refugees were subsequently repatriated; 2,400 former Angolan refugees were approved by the
Government of Namibia for purposes of local integration, and more than 684 refugees were resettled
between 2010 and 2015.

" By September 2015, Namibia was hosting 2,914 refugees and asylum-seekers; about 80 per cent of
them are Congolese. Most of the others come from other African countries, particularly Burundi, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and other countries from the Great Lakes region. The
high-level breakdown is as follows:

‹ 1,808 refugees; and
‹ 1,106 asylum-seekers.

" An additional number of 1,742 former refugees from Angola are awaiting local integration.
" The aim is to reduce the number of refugees and asylum-seekers in Namibia through resettlement and

local integration.
" About 30 asylum-seekers arrive to Namibia every month.
" With the secession clause on the Namibian refugees in Botswana, about 600 returnees are expected

to return to Namibia.

Sources: UNHCR, Call for Expression of Interest (CEoI): Implementation of 2016 UNHCR Basic Assistance Project in Namibia (CEoI Ref.
No: UNHCR/2015/001, 14 September 2015); L. Mbangson, Diplomatic Briefing UNHCR/GRN Refugee Programme in Namibia
Past-present-future (Presentation made on 9 June 2015).

136 MOHSS, Health Facility Census (HFC) (2009); Ministry of Work and Transport, Report on the Technical
Appraisal of Medical Facilities in Namibia (2013).

137 IOM, 2015b, p. 5.
138 Information provided by Mrs Florence Ntombesibini Situmbeko, Senior Social worker, Directorate of Social

Welfare Services, MOHSS.
139 Government of Namibia, State Party Report on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

20042012 (Government of Namibia, 2004), pp. 8182: see also articles 127, 213 and 214 of the Child Care
and Protection Act.

54 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Key international data on refugees in Namibia are also provided by UN
DESA for the period 1990 to 2013:

Table 17: Refugee stock in Namibia, 19902013

Estimated refugee stock at mid-year (both sexes)

Total
1990 2000 2010 2013

0 27,263 7,254 6,049

Refugees as a percentage of the international migrant stock

Per cent
1990 2000 2010 2013

0.0 34.4 13.2 11.8

Annual rate of change of the refugee stock

Rate
19902000 20002010 20102013

0.0 -13.2 -6.1

Source: UN DESA, 2013b, Table 6.

Refugees are settled in Osire Refugee Camp, which also hosts a primary
and secondary school, a health centre, a business centre and a youth centre.
They have access to education, health-care and legal assistance. Refugees may
be given permission to travel outside the camp and obtain a permit to undertake
work after fulfilling employment criteria applicable to foreign nationals. With
the support of multiple donors and through a partnership project with Africa
Humanitarian Action, formal arrangements have been complemented with
assistance in a variety of sectors, including shelter, food, water, sanitation, social
and protection services, durable solutions and peaceful coexistence projects.
Limited opportunities in livelihoods were also provided to refugees inside
the settlement through vocational skills training and agriculture projects.140 It
was intended to establish a refugee reception centre in Katima Mulilo, for the
receiving and screening of asylum-seekers; this has not yet materialized. It has
been noted that most asylum-seekers are entering Namibia through Zambezi
region. When the building is completed, the ministry will be able to provide
suitable services to asylum-seekers.141

The UNHCR indicated its intention to phase out from Namibia as of
December 2015 as it has attained the objective of reaching its ultimate goal
in Namibia, namely to find durable solutions for the refugees. An action plan

140 See UNHCR, 2015.
141 National Planning Commission (NPC), Development Programmes: Estimates of Expenditure Medium-Term

Expenditure Framework 2015/2016 to 2017/2018 (Office of the President, National Planning Commission,
2015/2016), p. 35. Of the estimated 30 new asylum-seeker arrivals recorded every month, most enter
through Katima Mulilo (recently, 106 irregular migrants were detained).

55Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

was intended to be established for the Government of Namibia to take over the
implementation of refugee programmes. The UN Country Team was requested
by UNHCR to assist the government in all areas of refugee matters. The UNHCR
exit strategy has not been finalized yet; the UNHCR recently issued a Call for
Expression of Interest for an organization to continue particular services at Osire
camp.142

D.2.9. Involuntary migration Cross-border flows of internally
displaced people

Involuntary migration Cross-border flows of IDPs. Cross-border flows of
IDPs may have migration implications and need to be dealt with in coordinated
fashion relying, among others, on the principles developed within the framework
of the so-called Nansen Initiative. This initiative was launched in October 2012
and aims to build consensus among States about how best to address cross-
border displacement in the context of sudden- and slow-onset disasters.143 It has
been indicated that environmental-induced disasters have affected border areas
as well, involving people across the Namibian, Angolan and Zambian borders.
Cross-border movement of persons enhanced by shared ethnic ties have
resulted from these disasters, although no statistics of people who have so
moved could be obtained (footnotes omitted):144

In 2013-2014, Southern Angola and Northern Namibia experienced a
severe drought with rainfall 60 per cent below average. The Government
of Angola established an emergency plan to assist 640,000 people, and an
estimated 2.2 million people (including a third of Namibias population)
were considered food insecure across the affected area. As a result, both
Namibia and Angola set up displacement camps, including in border
regions. Angolans are also known to have crossed the Kunene River into
Namibia in search of food and medical care.

and

At the domestic level, States and local communities in the region
have received disaster displaced persons. For example, the Malawian

142 See UNHCR, 2015.
143 W. Kälin (2012), From the Nansen Principles to the Nansen Initiative, Forced Migration Review 41. Available

from www.fmreview.org/preventing/kalin. See also www.nanseninitiative.org/.
144 Nansen Initiative Secretariat Background Paper Nansen Initiative Southern Africa consultation, in

cooperation with the Development and Rule of Law Programme (DROP) at Stellenbosch University (Disasters,
Climate Change and Human Mobility in Southern Africa: Consultation on the Draft Protection Agenda,
Stellenbosch, South Africa, 45 June 2015). Available from http://drop.sun.ac.za/files/2015/05/08052015-
Nansen-Initiative-Southern-Africa-Background-Paper.pdf, pp. 9, 23 (accessed on 21 September 2015).

56 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

government received Mozambicans who crossed the border following the
recent 2015 Cyclone Chedza. At the community and local level, despite
some tension between tribal authorities along the Angola/Namibia border,
shared ethnic heritage has seen pastoralists from Angola crossing over to
Namibia to access pastures and water sources.

D.3. EmiGRatiON

D.3.1. Data context

Data on emigration of Namibians are insufficient, as far as both national and
international sources are concerned. The NSAs Migration Report acknowledges
that available and reliable data on outmigration (migration outflows) is limited.
However, according to the report, indirect evidence suggests that numerical
outflows have been relatively comparable to inflows over the past decade. Thus,
the report suggests, population growth due to net international migration over
the past decades was likely fairly negligible.145 This, so it appears upon closer
scrutiny, is based on assumptions made, and needs to be evaluated on the
basis of appropriate data collection and analysis. In fact, it may well be that the
assumptions are incorrect, in view of (the limited) data reflected in the statistics
provided by UN DESA, especially if this is viewed from the perspective of several
years, as indicated below.

Data in connection with emigrants, although requested in the census
form associated with the National Population and Housing Census, could not be
sufficiently cleaned up due to the inadequacy of the responses. The relevant form
(Form C of the Census questionnaire) asked for different types of information
about the persons who left the particular household to other countries since
2001 and did not spend the census reference night in Namibia, in relation to the
following:

(a) Their sex;
(b) Their age;
(c) Their highest grade/standard or level of completed education;
(d) Professional training/occupation;
(e) The reason for staying abroad;
(f) Any remittance sent to any household member;
(g) The country of current residence destination; and
(h) The year of departure.

145 NSA, 2015b, p. 23. See also NSA, Namibia Population Projections 20112041 (Namibia 2011 Census
Projections 2011 to 2014) (NSA, 2014), pp. ii, 2.

57Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The Electoral Commission of Namibia keeps some information relating
to Namibians who registered and voted abroad. The registration information
is gender- and age-disaggregated. In 2014, 3,662 Namibians (only Namibian
citizens are entitled to vote in national elections) registered to participate in the
recent presidential election; 2,570 of those registered voted. While the absolute
numbers could barely be seen as a reflection of the actual number of (adult)
Namibians abroad, these may help to reveal certain trends and tendencies. The
data provided by the commission can be depicted as follows:

Table 18: 2014 Presidential elections: Namibian gender-disaggregated registrants abroad by
age group

Description Female Male Total

Before 1925 0 0 0

Silent Generation (19251944) 5 13 18

Baby Boomers (19451964) 88 174 262

Generation X (19651981) 396 1,040 1,436

Generation Y (1982Present) 842 1,104 1,946

Grand total 1,331 2,331 3,662

Source: Electoral Commission of Namibia.

Figure 5: 2014 Presidential elections: Namibian gender-disaggregated registrants abroad by age
group

Female Male

Source: Electoral Commission of Namibia.

The overwhelming majority of those who registered fell within the below
32 and between 33 and 50 age groups respectively. In all age cohorts, more
males than females registered. Overall, 2,331 males registered, while 1,331
females did so. Females in the age groups 3350 and 5070 in particular were
far outnumbered by their male counterparts.

58 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Table 19: 2014 Presidential election results: Constituency Namibian Missions Abroad Polling
Stations

Country (Polling station) Total
Angola (Luanda) 63

Austria (Vienna) 21

Belgium (Brussels) 32

Botswana (Gaborone) 80

Brazil (Brasilia) 36

China (Beijing) 130

Cuba (Havana) 35

Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) 6

Egypt (Cairo) 6

Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) 14

France (Paris) 10

Germany (Berlin) 47

India (New Delhi) 14

Japan (Tokyo) 9

Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) 127

Nigeria (Abuja) 9

Russian Federation (Moscow) 148

South Africa (Pretoria) 168

South Africa (Cape Town) 1,052

Sweden (Stockholm) 15

Switzerland (Geneva) 18

United Republic of Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) 18

United Kingdom (London) 88

United States (Washington, D.C.) 25

United States (New York) 39

Zambia (Lusaka) 80

Zimbabwe (Harare) 156

Angola (Ondjiva) 113

Angola (Menongue) 11

Total 2,570

Source: Electoral Commission of Namibia.

While age- and gender-disaggregated data of those who indeed voted
are not available, the following points could be raised, from the perspective of
regions and countries where those who voted were present:

(a) By far the majority of those who voted were present in African
countries (1,776 of a total of 2,570), with four SADC countries
registering among the highest number of voters: Angola, South
Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It has to be noted that the total
number of Namibian voters in South Africa (1,220) constituted almost
50 per cent of the total number of overseas voters.

59Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(b) Other countries and their respective regions registering more than
80 voters are as follows: United Kingdom (88) and Russian Federation
(148) in Europe; and China (130) and Malaysia (127) in Asia.

The main international data source on trends in international migrant
stock, as far as emigration is concerned, is that of UN DESA. Two data sets are
depicted below; more detailed data sets are contained in Appendix III:

(a) Migrants from Namibia Total migrant stock at mid-year by origin
and by major area and region, 2013 (gender-disaggregated) (see
Table 20); and

(b) Migrants from Namibia 19902013 Total migrant stock at mid-year
by origin and by major area and region, 19902013 (see Table 21).

Table 20: Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants from Namibia Total migrant stock at
mid-year by origin and by major area and region, 2013 (gender-disaggregated)

Major area, region, country or area of
destination

Total male and
female migrant stock

Total male
migrant stock

Total female
migrant stock

WORLD 137,498 66,454 71,044

More developed regions 4,647 2,261 2,386

Less developed regions 132,851 64,193 68,658

Least developed countries 1,528 805 723

Less developed regions excluding least
developed countries

131,323 63,388 67,935

Sub-Saharan Africa 132,756 64,128 68,628

AFRICA 132,769 64,133 68,636

Eastern Africa 749 445 304

Middle Africa 828 388 440

Northern Africa 13 5 8

Southern Africa 131,179 63,295 67,884

Western Africa 0 0 0

ASIA 11 9 2

Central Asia 0 0 0

Eastern Asia 0 0 0

South-Eastern Asia 0 0 0

Southern Asia 0 0 0

Western Asia 11 9 2

60 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

EUROPE 1,658 771 887
Eastern Europe 159 89 70

Northern Europe 455 197 258

Southern Europe 121 65 56

Western Europe 923 420 503

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 71 51 20
Caribbean 3 2 1

Central America 4 2 2

South America 64 47 17

NORTHERN AMERICA 1,441 751 690
OCEANIA 1,548 739 809
Australia and New Zealand 1,548 739 809

Melanesia 0 0 0

Micronesia 0 0 0

Polynesia 0 0 0

Source: UN DESA, 2013c, Tables 1, 4, 7 and 10.

Table 21: Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants from Namibia, 19902013 Total
migrant stock at mid-year by origin and by major area and region, 19902013

Major area, region, country or
area of destination

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 1990

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2000

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2010

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2013

WORLD 80,249 48,158 117,635 137,498

More developed regions 1,789 2,683 4,294 4,647

Less developed regions 78,460 45,475 113,341 132,851

Least developed countries 3,055 1,087 1,415 1,528

Less developed regions excluding
least developed countries

75,405 44,388 111,926 131,323

Sub-Saharan Africa 78,030 45,442 113,249 132,756

AFRICA 78,434 45,449 113,261 132,769

Eastern Africa 2,772 693 742 749

Middle Africa 345 457 725 828

Northern Africa 404 7 12 13

Southern Africa 74,913 44,292 111,782 131,179

Western Africa 0 0 0 0

ASIA 8 8 11 11

Central Asia 0 0 0 0

Eastern Asia 0 0 0 0

South-Eastern Asia 0 0 0 0

Southern Asia 0 0 0 0

Western Asia 8 8 11 11

61Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

EUROPE 710 1,009 1,478 1,658
Eastern Europe 116 99 160 159

Northern Europe 135 217 402 455

Southern Europe 58 171 104 121

Western Europe 401 522 812 923

LATIN AMERICA AND THE
CARIBBEAN

18 18 69 71

Caribbean 7 3 3 3

Central America 2 3 4 4

South America 9 12 62 64

NORTHERN AMERICA 690 1,001 1,389 1,441
OCEANIA 389 673 1,427 1,548
Australia and New Zealand 389 673 1,427 1,548

Melanesia 0 0 0 0

Micronesia 0 0 0 0

Polynesia 0 0 0 0

Source: UN DESA, 2013c, Tables 1, 4, 7 and 10.

Several conclusions can be drawn from the data provided by UN DESA:

(a) Feminization of Namibian migration:
Viewed over the 19902013 period, the percentage of female migrants

has steadily increased; since 2010, there are more female migrants than
male migrants from Namibia. The overall figures for 2013 indicate that
there were 71,044 Namibian female migrants worldwide, as opposed to
66,454 male migrants. The preponderance of female migrants applies to
all regions of the world, except Latin America and Northern America. More
research would be needed to investigate the reasons for this particular
trend.

(b) Significant increase in overall numbers of emigrants:
While according to the UN DESA figures the number of Namibian emigrants

reduced between 1990 and 2000, there was a sizeable increase in these
numbers in 2010 and 2013 from 48,158 in 2000 to 117,635 in 2010
and 137,498 in 2013. Namibians are indeed emigrating at a substantially
increased rate.

(c) African and Southern African countries as the priority destinations:
According to the 2013 data, 132,769 of the 137,498 Namibian emigrants

have moved to African countries of this number, the vast majority are
to be found in other SADC countries (131,179), with South Africa as the
preferred destination (129,488).146

146 See Table 29 on Appendix III.

62 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(d) Incomplete data:
Despite the much higher number of Namibian emigrants indicated in

the UN DESA data sets than the number suggested by the NSA Migration
Report (see above), it is also clear that the UN DESA data are incomplete.
As appears from Table 28 (see Appendix III), the UN DESA data contain no
information on the number of Namibian emigrants in the United Kingdom
and Germany. It could certainly not be the case that there are no Namibians
residing in these countries see in particular in this regard, the number of
Namibians residing in the United Kingdom and Germany who voted in the
2014 presidential election (see Table 19).

D.3.2. Diaspora and remittances

The lack of sufficient emigrant data is an area that evidently requires
significant development. One method to be employed is to use Namibian
diaspora associations in destination countries to help collect information.
However, there is no legal, policy, institutional or operational framework for
(Namibian) diaspora engagement existing officially in Namibia. More recently,
however, the Government of Namibia has expressed its explicit support for the
realization of comprehensive diaspora support in Namibia. The current president
has repeatedly stressed the importance of diaspora involvement, in particular as
regards the alleviation of poverty in Namibia through, for example, contributions
towards setting up a food bank in Namibia.147

To the extent that could be determined, mapping of the Namibian
diaspora has never been undertaken, although in principle, the Government
of Namibia is reportedly supportive of such an initiative. There appears to
be some Namibian diaspora associations operating in other parts of the
world; however, the Government of Namibia has yet to develop a framework
to formally include the diaspora.148 It has been suggested that some of the
Namibian diaspora associations have been active in Namibia, in particular at the
level of school education. Reference has been made to a United Kingdom-based
diaspora association involved in co-teaching in Namibian schools; apparently,
this association is interested in developing an accredited leadership programme
through the University of Namibia for the education sector.149

147 M. Thomas, Namibians in diaspora urged to raise funds for food bank, The Namibian, 22 September 2015.
Available from www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=142157&page=archive-read, p. 5).

148 See The African Leadership and Progress Network, Diaspora Organizations. Available from http://
africanprogress.net/diaspora-organizations-2/ (accessed on 22 September 2015).

149 Information provided by Ms Elizabeth Ngololo, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Continuing
Professional Development Unit, University of Namibia, on 15 April 2015.

63Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

There is no known available national data source on remittance inflows and
outflows. According to the Bank of Namibia, the foreign exchange transaction
framework does not distinguish between remittances and other transactions.
Informal remittance transfers are also not captured. There is further no
regulatory framework in place, which deals with the cost of remittance transfers.
There is therefore no reflection on remittances in the most recent (2014)
Annual Report of the Bank of Namibia.150 For these reasons, no work has been
done on analysing the purpose(s) for which remittances are used, except for
some reflection on this in the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, as
mentioned below. However, some progress has been made at the SADC level to
develop a SADC-wide framework for collecting remittance data as part of cross-
border reporting systems.151

Box 9: Receipt and use of remittances by Namibian households

Some data on the receipt of remittances are contained in the Namibian Household Income and Expenditure
Survey report. The data are of some but limited value, in view thereof that the data are often lumped with
income received via (social) grants. There is, therefore, need to disaggregate remittance and grant data, to
obtain a true picture of the use of remittances by households in Namibia. The following information may
nevertheless be relevant:

(a) 4.6 per cent of household income overall is made up by remittances and grants;

(b) Remittances and grants are in particular of great importance for women-headed households (8% of
household income) and for the poorest income quintiles; and

(c) For those for whom cash remittances are the main source of income, these are primarily consumed
for purposes of household survival.

Source: NSA, Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES) 2009/2010 (2012), pp. 56, 138, 149.

Some remittance data are provided by World Bank, and depicted below:

(a) A table indicating migrant remittance inflows from 2010 to 2014, and
remittances as a share of GDP in 2013;

(b) A figure illustrating (personal) remittance (received) inflows from
1990 to 20143; and

150 See Bank of Namibia, Annual Report 2014 (2014). The report notes that certain authorized dealers with
limited authority operate money transfer services in partnership with international money remittance
operators (at 33), and further notes that the World Bank carried out a remittances review at the Bank of
Namibia in 2014 (at 54).

151 Information conveyed during a consultation with Mr Issy Thihoreko, Senior Officer: Exchange Controls and
Financial Markets, Bank of Namibia and Ms Josephine Udjombala, Treasury Accountant, Bank of Namibia,
on 15 April 2015.

64 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

From the information provided below, it is clear that both the total of
formal remittances received and the share of GDP constituted by remittances
are generally low and trending downwards. Much needs to be done to develop
an official remittance framework for Namibia and raise the contribution this
could be making to the economy and the development of the country.

Table 22: Migrant remittance inflows (USD million)

Migrant remittance inflows
(USD million) 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014e

Remittances as a share of
GDP in 2013 (%)

Namibia 15 15 13 11 11 0.1%

Source: World Bank, Remittance data inflows (April 2015). Available from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROSPECTS/
Resources/334934-1288990760745/RemittanceData_Inflows_Apr2015.xls

Note: World Bank staff calculation based on data from International Monetary Fund (IMF) balance of payments statistics database
and data releases from Central Banks, national statistics agencies and World Bank country desks.

Figure 6: Personal remittances, received (USD million)

Source: World Bank, Personal remittances received (2014). Available from www.indexmundi.com/facts/namibia/workers-remittances-
and-compensation-of-employees

Note: World Bank staff estimates are based on IMF balance of payments data.

65Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Figure 7: Personal remittances, received (per cent of GDP)

Source: World Bank, 2014.

Note: World Bank staff estimates are based on IMF balance of payments data, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.

D.3.3. labour exporting

Currently, Namibia does not have a legal, policy, institutional or operational
framework informing labour exporting, although introducing labour exporting as
a medium- to long-term objective is being proposed and supported by MLIREC.
Consequently, no data in this regard is presently available. Already in 2002,
Frayne and Pendleton remarked that there is no data available for emigration,
including legal outmigration from Namibia, and that research on either the scale
or the possible consequences of skills emigration is not available.152

On the basis of an IOM Development Fund regional labour migration
project on Regional Road Map to Facilitate South South Labor Migration Mobility
in Southern Africa, support is foreseen to the Government of Namibia through
MLIREC to develop and implement a labour migration policy within the context
of existing regional frameworks.153 In order to achieve this aim, the Government
of Namibia seeks to establish an interministerial coordination mechanism in
which various relevant ministries, agencies and organizations are represented

152 Frayne and Pendleton, 2002, pp. 15, 16.
153 The project aims to bring together selected SADC Member States in order to facilitate southsouth labour

mobility arrangements with a view towards ensuring the protection of the fundamental human, labour and
social rights of migrant workers, their families and associated communities of origin and destination (IOM
Development Fund, Developing a National Labour Migration Policy for Namibia (project proposal) (2014),
p. 1).

66 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

and gain a greater understanding of the current labour migration situation and
needs within Namibia. It is envisaged that the interministerial coordination
mechanism will also contribute to the development of skills to continue providing
information on labour migration in order to build a comprehensive approach to
policymaking. Two major outcomes are envisaged:154

(a) A comprehensive and finalized labour migration policy; and
(b) A road map for the implementation of the policy.

The labour migration policy will serve to support the Government of
Namibia to set up legal guidelines that ensure effective, efficient and accountable
regulation of labour migration. The policy will include guidance and direction
that seek to support the following areas of critical concern to Namibia:

(a) Development of a market-driven skills inventory;
(b) Concerns of return and reintegration of Namibians who have been

working abroad;
(c) Increased efficiency for registration on labour migrants within

Namibia;
(d) Regulation and monitoring mechanisms of private employment

agencies within Namibia;
(e) Protection of rights of migrant workers and their dependants;
(f) Portability of social security for migrant workers and their dependants;
(g) Health concerns of migrant workers in the context of fitness to work

and access to health services;
(h) Establishment of mechanisms that can contribute to regional

integration and international cooperation vis-à-vis labour migration;
(i) Development of coordination mechanisms to regulate labour

migration and combat human trafficking;
(j) Establishment and maintenance of a comprehensive data

management system; and
(k) Development of an exportation of skills programme.

It has also been remarked that the development of the policy will make a
direct impact through envisaged capacity-building activities, which will include
specific focus on addressing challenges associated with training and skills
development. Therefore, IOM will organize trainings to enhance the capacity
of officials and institutions involved in the management of labour migration.155

154 Ibid.
155 Ibid., pp. 12.

67Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

D.4. iRREGulaR miGRatiON

No official national or international statistics on irregular migration could
be detected in the course of preparing the Migration Profile.

MHAI made available annual information on irregular migrants arrested
and deported or issued with a 48-hour notice, for the years April 2010 to March
2011, April 2011 to March 2012, and April 2013 to March 2014, for this Profile.

Table 23: Irregular migrants arrested and deported or issues with a 48-hour notice

Country Total 2010/11 Total 2012/13 Total 2013/14

Angola 984 832 901

Botswana - 13 22

China 48 16 50

Democratic Republic of the Congo 34 37 14

Ethiopia 22 - 14

Germany 22 - -

Guinea Conakry 10 - -

Equatorial Guinea 30 - -

Kenya 16 - 29

Somalia 40 42 48

Sierra Leone - 10 -

South Africa 91 47 25

Mali - - 12

Mozambique 21 - -

Nigeria 28 28 -

United Republic of Tanzania - 13 -

Zambia 250 21 628

Zimbabwe 231 104 206

Subtotal 1,827 1,163 1,949

Other 71 70 54

Total 1,898 1,233 2,003

Sources: MHAI, Directorate of Immigration and Border Control Report 20102011, 20122013 and 20132014.

The rest of this part of the Profile will concentrate on the following three
areas:

(a) Human trafficking and smuggling;
(b) Protection of migrant children in irregular situations; and
(c) Other security concerns.

68 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

D.4.1. Human trafficking in Namibia

Box 10: Human trafficking in Namibia

Namibia is believed to a country of origin, transit and destination for foreign and Namibian people
subjected to trafficking for forced labour and prostitution.156 In this area, the constitutional protection
against slavery and forced labour, and of children under 16 years of age as regards hazardous work,157 is
supported by provisions in several laws specifically addressing trafficking involving adults and children, as
well as forced and exploitative child labour.158 However, these laws present a fragmented and incomplete
picture that requires, from an integrated approach, to holistically address human trafficking and smuggling,
hence the current effort to develop an overarching and comprehensive anti-trafficking law (see below).
Further support in this area emanates from a range of regional and international agreements.

Human trafficking in or involving Namibia is a matter that has attracted
considerable international concern. In the 2015 US Department of States TIP
Report, Namibia is (again), for the fourth consecutive year, listed as a Tier 2
Watch List country,159 avoiding a downgrading to Tier 3.160 As noted in the 2012
report by the Government of Namibia in relation to Namibias compliance with
the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against

156 See Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, National Plan of Action on Gender-Based Violence 2012
2016 (2012), pp. 1617, referring to Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (in collaboration with
the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry), A baseline assessment of human trafficking in Namibia: A
nationally representative qualitative assessment (2009).

157 See article 18 of the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, 1990.
158 In particular, the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 29 of 2004; the recently adopted Child Care and

Protection Act 3 of 2015; and the Labour Act 11 of 2007.
159 US Department of State, 2015, p. 255. According to the report, Tier 2 Watch List countries are (see p.

47 emphasis in the original) countries whose governments do not fully comply with the [Trafficking
Victims Protection Act] TVPAs minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves
into compliance with those standards, and for which:
a) the absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly

increasing;
b) there is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons

from the previous year, including increased investigations, prosecution, and convictions of trafficking
crimes, increased assistance to victims, and decreasing evidence of complicity in severe forms of
trafficking by government officials; or

c) the determination that a country is making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with
minimum standards was based on commitments by the country to take additional steps over the next
year.

160 The 2015 TIP report notes (at p. 256): Namibia was granted a waiver from an otherwise required
downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute
making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking and it has committed to devoting sufficient resources to implement that plan.

69Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Women (CEDAW), following earlier comments from the UN CEDAW committee,
and in response to the US Department of State designating Namibia as a special
case regarding trafficking in 2008, the government undertook the National
Baseline Study on Human Trafficking in Namibia in 2009.161 The report noted that
findings revealed a small number of possible cases had been reported but could
not be confirmed: There is a presumption that cases that were identified may
be those of trafficking. In Namibia suspected cases of human trafficking most
often appear to involve underage children to or from neighbouring countries for
the purpose of manual labour or sex work.162

In order to address concerns about human trafficking in and involving
Namibia, consideration should be given to strengthen the data environment as
is reflected on in more detail later in the Profile. This includes obtaining data
via surveys and otherwise, in particular qualitative research that should in the
first place take note of and be aligned with the identified macro factors leading
to trafficking (and for that matter also smuggling).163

Also, note should be taken of the concerns expressed in the 2015 US
Department of States TIP Report. These essentially relate to the following:164

(a) The government failed to fully institute formal victim identification
and referral processes, which led to the deportation of potential
victims in 2014. Lack of effective interministerial coordination in the
development and implementation of anti-trafficking programming
remained a key concern.

(b) The government maintained modest anti-trafficking law enforcement
efforts during the year.

(c) The government maintained modest efforts to protect trafficking
victims during the year and remained without a process for screening
vulnerable populations to identify victims or provide official
designation of trafficking victim status.

(d) The government made minimal efforts to prevent human trafficking
during the reporting period.

(e) The government appeared to make only limited progress towards
implementing the National Plan of Action on Gender-Based Violence
20122016, including the anti-trafficking strategy portions of the
plan.

161 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
Forestry), 2009.

162 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, 2012b, p. 33.
163 See Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water

and Forestry, 2009, p. 66.
164 US Department of State, 2015, pp. 255257.

70 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

In its recent evaluation of Namibias country report on compliance with
CEDAW, the relevant UN Committee entrusted with monitoring compliance with
the Convention, noted the first criminal conviction in 2015 (under the Prevention
of Organised Crime Act 29 of 2009 (POCA)) involving a case of human trafficking.
However, the Committee expressed its concern that Namibia remained a source
and destination country of trafficking in human beings, in particular women
and girls, mainly for purposes of forced labour and sexual exploitation. Several
recommendations were made by the Committee, including the following:165

(a) Adoption of a comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation;
(b) Undertaking a comprehensive study to collect data on the extent

and forms of trafficking in women and girls, which should be
disaggregated by age, region and country of origin;

(c) Intensification of efforts to address the root causes of trafficking and
ensure the rehabilitation and social integration of victims;

(d) Intensification of awareness-raising efforts aimed at promoting
reporting of trafficking crimes and early detection of women and girls
who are victims of trafficking, as well as their referral to appropriate
services;

(e) Intensification of efforts aimed at bilateral, regional and international
cooperation to prevent trafficking, including by exchanging
information and harmonizing legal procedures to prosecute
traffickers, particularly with neighbouring States, such as Angola,
Zambia, Botswana and South Africa and other relevant States in
SADC; and

(f) Allocating adequate resources for the effective running of shelters
in Namibia.

An in-depth study on human trafficking commenced in 2013.166 This study
has apparently been finalized. However, the consultant was unable to obtain a
copy of the study. Furthermore, there is a lack of elaborated trafficking standard
operating procedures to deal with potential victims of trafficking supporting
all aspects of prevention, protection and prosecution in general, and victim
identification, interview process and techniques as well as referral in particular.167

There have been several policy responses on the part of the Government
of Namibia, as regards human trafficking and smuggling. These are reflected on

165 UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Concluding observations on the
combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Namibia (CEDAW/C/NAM/CO/4-5, 24 July 2015), paras. 24
25.

166 Republic of Namibia, Namibia Country Report Beijing + 20 (19952015) (2014), p. 44.
167 IOM, Report: Migration Management Training of Trainers, 30 July10 August 2012 (2012), p. 10.

71Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

later in the Profile. Limited statistics are available. Table 24 below indicates the
achievements of the Directorate of Social Welfare Services, MOHSS, in relation
to the provision of social welfare services to victims of human trafficking.

Table 24: Regional statistics, 2014/15 Ministry of Health and Social Services

Total number of human trafficking
reported cases attended to (in
terms of the provision of social

welfare services)

Regions implementing strategies
on human trafficking and

migration (implementing plan on
human trafficking and migration)

Erongo 0 0

Hardap 0 2

Karas 0 0

Kavango

Khomas 2 0

Kunene 8 1

Ohangwena 0 1

Omaheke 7 0

Omusati 0 0

Oshana 0 0

Oshikoto

Otjozondjupa 0 0

Zambezi 0 0

Windhoek Central Hospital 0 0

Intermediate Hospital Katutura 0 0

Intermediate Hospital Rundu

Intermediate Hospital Oshakati 0 0

Total 17 4

Source: Information provided by the Directorate of Social Welfare Services, MOHSS.

Finally, mention should be made of a recently endorsed IOM-led project
aimed at strengthening coordination to respond to trafficking in persons and
ensure justice and protection for all victims of trafficking in Namibia. The project,
to be implemented over a three-year period, has the following objectives:168

(a) To strengthen coordination of the trafficking response for more
effective implementation of the national anti-trafficking response,
by ensuring the following:

(i) A fully functioning national coordinating body revitalized and
meeting regularly to coordinate the multisectoral TIP response;
and

168 IOM, Namibia JTIP Proposal (2015).

72 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(ii) Members of the national coordinating body and civil society
groups have skills and knowledge to apply/implement provisions
of POCA and/or anti-TIP law;

(b) To enhance the criminal justice systems response to TIP through the
establishment of a formal mechanism between law enforcement
bodies to coordinate their respective activities (a formal protocol
between police and prosecutors to collaborate on all phases of the
investigation and prosecution is foreseen);

(c) To improve identification, referral and protection services to actual
and potential victims of human trafficking through networking and
partnership among stakeholders, envisaging the following:

(i) A national system for the identification, referral and protection
of victims of human trafficking by government and community
service organization service providers;

(ii) Key shelter service providers have skills, knowledge, tools
and facilities to offer protection services to victims of human
trafficking that meet minimum requirements of protection; and

(iii) At least 30 actual and potential victims of human trafficking
have been provided with direct assistance;

(d) To increase reporting of potential TIP cases through raising awareness
and envisaging that community and religious leaders, youth groups
and students demonstrate increased awareness on TIP issues that
leads to increased reporting of TIP cases.

D.4.2. Migrant children in irregular situations

Of particular importance as regards the protection of children against
human trafficking, smuggling and other forms of unlawful acts to which children
are exposed is the need to have an effective birth registration system in place. It
has been noted that Namibias birth registration has recently undergone strong
improvements since the 2006 coverage rate of 67 per cent: The recent progress
mainly results from complementary reforms by MHAI which is responsible for
such registration and MOHSS.169 Nevertheless, some groups of children remain
vulnerable, without such documentation, including unaccompanied and refugee
children in the northern parts of the country and in border areas, as well as

169 In 2012, the Government of Namibia noted that it had launched a hospital-based registration system to
promote birth registration. See Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, 2012b, p. 13.

73Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

undocumented rural poor children in families moving to cities.170 Note should
in particular be taken of developments at the regional level and commitments
made in this regard by the Government of Namibia. At the recent Migration
Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA), the following recommendations were
adopted:171

(a) SADC Member States individually and collectively prioritize
the sections of the Action Plan pertaining to the protection of
unaccompanied migrant children and to begin the implementation
of the proposed actions, as well as pursuing preliminary work on
statelessness, alternatives to detention and return pending the
formal adoption of the Action Plan by SADC;

(b) SADC Member States individually and collectively develop and
implement a regional policy framework and national policy
frameworks, including the development of Identification and
Referral guidelines and a Case Management System, and to
engage in awareness-raising and training activities to respond to
the challenges of providing protection to unaccompanied migrant
children. These actions should be based on the best interests of the
child, as provided for in the appropriate international and regional
instruments;

(c) The accompanying Action Plan, under the theme Legislative and
Policy Measures (specifically: Child Protection) indicates the
following measures:172 Review and modify national policies to ensure
speedy best interest determinations after arrival, including family
reunification;

(d) Review practices on safe return of unaccompanied, separated
and other vulnerable migrant children in the region and develop
guidelines to provide for dignified return;

(e) Conclude agreements with countries of return/origin to provide for
dignified return for child migrants;

(f) Facilitate childrens access to documentation to make their migration
and stay as safe as possible; and

(g) Develop regional guidance on how to carry out best interest
determinations.

170 UNICEF, Towards a Namibia Fit for Children: Situational Analysis of the Status of Children's and Adolescents'
Rights, 20102013 (Government of the Republic of Namibia and UNICEF, 2014), p. xvi.

171 See MIDSA, Report and Recommendations of the MIDSA Conference on Addressing Mixed and Irregular
Migration in the SADC Region: Protection of the Unaccompanied Migrant Child (MIDSA, 2015).

172 MIDSA Action Plan Consolidated Version (16/01/2015), items 1.291.33.

74 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

As a capacity-building measure, the plan suggests conducting specialized
training for social workers on case management of unaccompanied and
separated minors, including on safe return.173

An in principle related matter concerns the situation of undocumented
minors who face the risk of statelessness. As has been noted by the Government
of Namibia, this was a major concern raised by the UN Committee on the
Convention on the Rights of the Child at the Sixty-first Plenary Session in
September 2012. The government acknowledges that this is an area in which
special solutions have to be found urgently within the framework of international
law.174

The Government of Namibia reported that it had conducted the National
Child Activities Survey in 2005 to address the lack of updated socioeconomic
data on the activities of Namibias child population.175 However, while the
survey noted the widespread extent of child labour in Namibia,176 it contained
only limited information about migrant children generally and non-Namibian
children specifically. It indicated that about 0.5 per cent of all children (in 2005)
were non-Namibian children and did not further deal with the plight of these
and other (internal) migrant children.177

D.4.3. Other security dimensions

As has been noted by the Government of Namibia, POCA explicitly
criminalizes human trafficking, and the Child Care and Protection Act 3 of 2015
makes provision for the prohibition of trafficking, and for the protection and
provision of services to victims of trafficking. Mention should be made of the
fact that for the first time, Namibia has successfully prosecuted its first human
trafficking case under POCA in June 2015, after more than a year of trial.

According to a report by the Government on Namibias compliance with
the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, labour inspectors
started removing children from exploitative situations. In 2010, 10 children were
removed from cattle herding and domestic work in Zambezi region.178

173 Ibid., item 2.2.
174 MHAI and UNICEF, A Rapid Overview of Birth Registration Systems in Namibia: Taking Stock (MHAI and

UNICEF Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia, 2012), p. 23.
175 Government of Namibia, 2004, p. 87.
176 The survey revealed that almost 180,000 (67%) of approximately 269,000 children aged 7 to 11 worked. See

Republic of Namibia, 2014, p. 63.
177 Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MOLSW), Namibia Child Activities Survey (NCAS 2005) (Ministry of

Labour and Social Welfare, Directorate of Labour Market Services, 2008), p. 87.
178 Ibid., p. 87.

75Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

According to the Financial Intelligence Centre, no data on foreigners who
were successfully prosecuted are currently available.

D.5. iNtERNal miGRatiON

D.5.1. Data context

According to the NSAs Migration Report, internal migration generally
refers to movement within the boundaries of a given country179 and specifically
to those moving from one region or constituency to another within Namibia.180
Importantly, in the Namibian context, the type of geographical boundary that
has to be crossed is relevant. At the time of the 2011 Namibia Population and
Housing census, Namibia had 13 regions and 107 constituencies. As noted by the
NSAs Migration Report, [E]vidently one is more likely to cross a constituency
boundary than a regional boundary and to reside at a different residence than
ones birthplace. The number of internal migrants recorded in Namibia in 2011
varies accordingly.181 Furthermore, a distinction is drawn between short-term
and long-term migration. Accordingly, the 2011 Census, in addition to usual
residence in 2011, asked about birthplace and previous residence in 2010
respectively, which allows one to measure both lifetime migration and short-term
migration patterns.182 The key findings concerning internal migration appearing
in the Migration Report (with reference to the 2011 Census) can therefore be
summarized as follows:

(a) About 41,000 residents migrated to different regions between
2011 and 2010, whereas 707,000 residents migrated to different
constituencies in 2011 compared to places of birth. Given a total
population of 2.1 million, the share of those migrating therefore

179 NSA, 2015b, p. 6.
180 NSA, 2015b, p. iii.
181 Ibid.
182 The 2011 census asked the following questions to capture the mobility of the population internally and

internationally, which were able to depict a person who moved to an area other than that of his or her usual
residence (see NSA, 2015b, p. 6):

i. Place of birth refers to the place where the respondents mother was usually living when she gave
birth (not the town or hospital where the respondent was born).

ii. Place of usual residence refers to the place where a person usually lives for the most part of any year
(at least six month[s]) and should not be confused with home town or where a person originally came
from.

iii. Place of previous residence i.e. usual residence since September 2010 refers to where the person
was usually living from September 2010 to August 2011.

iv. Duration of residence refers to the number in completed years lived at the usual place of
residence.

76 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

varies widely from 2 to 34 per cent.183 The Migration Report
therefore concludes that internal migration appears to be common
in Namibia, as elsewhere in Africa.184

(b) Namibia experiences a significant measure of short-term population
mobility. About 15 per cent of the usual residents reported that they
had lived at their usual residence for less than one year.185

(c) Furthermore, internal migration varies across regions, a phenomenon
that relates partly to the urbanization drive indicated below.
According to the Migration Report, over 40 per cent of those residing
in Khomas and Erongo (comprising and adjacent to Windhoek) in
2011 were born outside those regions, which suggests net migration
flows into those regions from elsewhere. In contrast, more than one
in six people born in Ohangwena and Omusati now reside in other
regions.186

(d) The Migration Report notes that the major demographic
characteristics of migrants concerns their age & the propensity of
lifetime migration is notably highest at ages 25-59, while the likelihood
of short-term migration is highest at ages 20-34 [&] the majority of
migrants are young and middle aged adults.187 The report notes that
the age selective for non-migrants is different when compared to
the age pyramid for non-migrant i.e. middle age population is more
likely to migrate than younger and older groups.188

183 Ibid., pp. iii, 3.
184 NSA, 2015b, p. iii.
185 Ibid.
186 Ibid. The report notes that, within regions, there is further diversity 11 regions had constituencies

that included both net gainers and net losers of migrants: In regard to lifetime migration, Oranjemund
constituency in Karas region showed the largest net proportional inflow since birth (+360.7 percent), while
Ohangwena constituency in Ohangwena region showed the largest outflow (-43.0 percent). As to short-
term migration Steinhausen in Omaheke region recorded the largest net inflow in 2011 compared to 2010
(+5.4%), while Kabbe in Zambezi region recorded the largest outflow (-25.1 percent). All of these outliers
reflect unique circumstances. For instance, the massive outflow from Kabbe between 2010 and 2011 was
likely due to a major flood in 2010.

187 Ibid., pp. iv, 5. See also pp. 1112, which notes that compared to Namibia's population overall, most
lifetime migrants are at ages 1539, at about 54 per cent, and most short-term migrants are at ages 1534,
at about 56 per cent.

188 Ibid., pp. iv, 5.

77Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Figure 8: Lifetime migrants by age and sex, 2011

Source: NSA, 2015b, p. 5 (Figure 1.1a).

(e) Migration is also somewhat more common among males.
(f) As to other social characteristics, short-term migration tends to be

most prevalent among the never married and the better educated.
Migration patterns are also related to employment and occupation.
For instance, migrants tend to go where jobs are189 moving from
regions where unemployment rates are high to regions where it is
low.190

(g) The report also reflects on the likelihood of lifetime and short-term
migration within each age and sex group.

(h) The report further analyses education, occupation and employment
indicators. It remarks and finds as follows (underlining added):191

‹ About 6 percent or more of those with at least a secondary
education were short-term migrants, a higher share than for those
with less education. Thus migrants with high educational status
migrate more compared to those with no or less educational
attainment. These findings might reflect the job opportunities

189 See also, to similar effect, the discussion below in relation to ruralurban migration.
190 NSA, 2015b, pp. iv, 1114, 23.
191 Ibid., pp. 1314.

78 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

available for better educated workers, which may require them
to move.

Generally there are more male migrants than female migrants
who have completed tertiary education. These findings are
similar to what was found by other researchers that more male
migrants have higher level of education attainment than female
migrants.

‹ The occupation composition of migrants provides information
on the distribution of working migrants among different
classifications of profession. As seen in Figure 3.4 occupational
groups that include the better educated (such as legislators,
professionals and technicians) do not exhibit higher migration.
Occupations exhibiting the most short-term migration were
armed forces, service workers and elementary occupations.

Box 11: Labour force participation of internal migrants and non-migrants

Generally it is expected that the labour force participation rate is higher for migrants than non-migrants
due to main motives for migrating being work. Figure 3.4 shows that in Namibia migration varies by
employment status and sex. In general there are more employed migrants than unemployed migrants.
Among males migration seems most common among the employed, while for females migration seems
most common among the unemployed. Other evidence suggests that employment opportunities attract
migrants in-migration is highest in regions where unemployment is lowest&. Further investigation into
these patterns would be helpful.

Source: NSA, 2015b, p. 14.

(i) Urbanization is an important phenomenon in Namibia. According to
the Migration Report, a large portion of migration involves that from
rural to urban areas, with major implications in terms of access to
land,192 and health and development challenges.193 This matter is
discussed further later in the Profile.

D.5.2. Disaster risk data

Limited information relating to people and geographical areas affected by
disasters is available. This information primarily stems from international sources
among others, the Red Cross.194 However, the Migration Report of the NSA
indicates that, from a short-term migration perspective, in the 20102011 year

192 Ibid., p. 19.
193 Ibid., pp. iv, 19. Regarding health and development challenges, see below.
194 See, among others, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Disaster Relief

Emergency Fund (DREF) operation final report: Namibia Floods (31 January 2011) for data concerning
people affected, relocated and deceases as a result of the 2010 floods.

79Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

comparison utilized by the Population and Housing census, Zambezi region lost
a significant number of people (that is, 5.5%) to other regions, a situation that
could be attributed to the major flood in 2010. In particular, Kabbe in Zambezi
region recorded the largest outflow (-25.1%).195

Noting the effect of flooding in both the Zambezi region along the
Zambezi River and the Cuvelai Basin in North-Central Namibia, the Government
of Namibia reported that in 2008, approximately 2,800 people were unable to
find their own shelter and were cared for by the government.196

The links between migration, disasters and disaster resilience are discussed
in more detail later in this Profile.

D.5.3. camp coordination and camp management (cccm) and
disaster risk management capacity-building programme

It has been remarked that, in order to respond to the challenges of natural
disasters, such as flood and drought, several efforts have been undertaken to
strengthen the DRM system in both Namibia and certain other SADC countries in
the past years, as well as enhance national resilience to disasters:197

In Namibia, these activities were developed within the framework of
the Disaster Risk Management Act (Act No. 10 of 2012), focusing on
prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. One such initiative is
the IOM led Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) capacity-
building programme, supported by the European Union, in 20112012 and
the subsequent development of a regional capacity-building programme
in 2013 supported by United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), rolled out as a pilot as the first initiative of its kind, building on a
partnership approach with national authorities and key non-governmental
actors.

195 Ibid., pp. iii, 7, 23.
196 Government of Namibia, 2004, p. 82.
197 IOM, Summary of Disaster Risk Management Capacity-building activities (20112015) (2015), p. 1.

80 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

According to IOMs latest figures and feedback received from the
Directorate of Disaster Risk Management (DDRM), currently under consideration,
the key achievements of this programme can be listed as follows:198

(a) For the 20112013 period, there were 64 CCCM roll-out trainings
delivered by the Government of Namibia trainers in communities,
in 8 north/north-eastern regions and for the 20132015 period, 143
DRM trainings in 14 regions;

(b) 1,633 persons were trained in CCCM and 6,936 on DRM;
(c) 2,219 children were sensitized in Omusati region;
(d) There are 37 trained CCCM trainers and 85 trained DRM trainers; 92

Government of Namibia staff and trainers were involved in refresher
trainings, including health workers; and

(e) 90 teachers were trained in all regions on Emergency Preparedness
and Response contained in a school booklet.

Also, several disaster risk tools have been developed together with the
Government of Namibia, relating to the following areas:

(a) CCCM/DRM package Capacity-building programme/Flood
response;

(b) DRM training package used during the training of trainers;
(c) Refresher training package used during the refresher trainings; and
(d) DVD/video and awareness materials (disseminated in all regions).

The approach outlined above is both relevant and low-cost, as in some
regions training was delivered at a cost of less than 30 Namibian dollars (less than
USD 3); Namibia continues to serve in the global forefront of camp management
capacity-building models.199

The Namibian training programme expanded into a regional one:200

Although Namibia has a strong Disaster Risk Management legal
frameworks, it was assessed in 2012 that the country continued to face
challenges in areas of capacity-building, human resources and technical
support. Consequently, IOM and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM),
through the Directorate of Disaster Risk Management (DDRM) expanded

198 IOM Regional CCCM Lessons Learnt Workshop Summary Report (Workshop, Johannesburg, South Africa
1315 July 2015), pp. 56.

199 IOM, 2012 Report Multiplying capacity for national resilience Camp coordination and camp management
capacity-building programme: Namibia (IOM, 2013), p. 3.

200 IOM, 2015d, p. 2.

81Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

their partnership from camp management level to strengthening the
Disaster Risk Management system in terms of capacity-building training
within all 14 regions, based on lessons learned and best practices from the
first CCCM programme in Namibia.

This capacity-building strategy led Namibia to be a role model to
other countries (Mozambique and Botswana) in terms of disaster risk
management capacity-building for Namibian communities at national,
regional and community level. The aim of the programme supported by
USAID, Phase I, was to strengthen the national capacity of key disaster
risk management stakeholders to effectively protect and assist displaced
and at risk populations in Southern Africa. It targeted IDP, natural disaster
prone communities, DRM institutions, partners and other key stakeholders
involved in disaster risk management at national, regional, local and
community level. The regional programme also provided an opportunity
for inter-regional exchange between the three countries, promoting
information and best practices exchange. Country-specific DRM package
were developed and tailored to the specific needs of each country.

Given the successful achievements demonstrated during the first phase
of the programme in Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique, the approach was
expanded for a second phase in 20142015 to Malawi, Angola and Zambia. In
Namibia, the focus of the regional capacity-building programme in 20142015
remained related to DRM, targeting the pool of DRM trainers within the countrys
14 regions. The programme activities included the conduction of refresher
trainings of key disaster risk management actors on relevant topics tailored to
the Namibian context and fitting their needs through a mentorship approach, the
development of awareness campaigns, as well as the development of materials
and modules targeting schools.

It has been noted that DRM capacity-building activities in Namibia are
conducted under the lead and at the request of the Government of Namibia
through the DDRM/Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).201 Several agencies
contribute to disaster risk activities of the government. These include the
following:202

201 Ibid. As has been noted: The basis of the regional programme found its ground after the 2011 flood
disaster which affected the Northern, Northern East and Northern West regions and further affected more
than 140,000 people. The Government of the Republic of Namibia declared a state of emergency on the
29 March 2011 and deployed an assessment team in all 14 regions for flood assessment, resulting in the
implementation of an IOM led Camp Coordination & Camp Management (CCCM) action to respond to the
needs of IDP and a subsequent capacity-building programme targeting DRM stakeholders.

202 UN Resident Coordinator, Building disaster resilience of vulnerable populations in Namibia (Concept note,
2015).

82 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(a) UNDP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)
focus on environmental, food and personal security targeting local-
level communities, empowering women and youth to adapt to
climate change, strengthen capacity for disaster preparedness,
integration of DRM in development plans, policies and programmes;

(b) United Nations World Food Programme technically assisted the
Government of Namibia in developing a Food and Nutrition Security
Monitoring System after the 2012/2013 drought to build local
capacity within government structures to generate information
products for early detection and warning of changes in food security
conditions and inform timely decision-making and intervention;

(c) United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) worked together with IOM
to mainstream DRM initiatives in the education system; UNICEF has
also worked with Namibia Red Cross Society to develop household
capacity to treat water supplies and practice hygiene and sanitation
in drought/flood affected regions, as well as improve household
identification, treatment and referral for malnutrition;

(d) Through the Joint Gender Programme, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
and FAO contributed to gender equality and the empowerment of
women, and poverty alleviation through economic empowerment
of rural women this programme contributed to improving the
food security conditions of rural women and youth through the
introduction of appropriate technology, provision of training and
agricultural inputs; and

(e) WHO and UNICEF (with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
are strengthening health security by supporting the scaling up of
Health Extension Workers Programme to enhance linkages and
referral between the communities and health facilities to increase
health service coverage in rural communities.

Currently, IOM is developing its DRM risk analysis and exit strategy with
the government.203 The exit/handover strategy in itself is an ongoing process,
and will involve consultations with the 14 regions and trainers, data analysis,
development of an exit strategy and a possible signature of a MOU with the
DDRM/OPM.

203 IOM, 2015d, p. 2.

83Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

PaRt E: imPact OF miGRatiON

E.1. POPulatiON cHaNGE204

Figure 9: Projected population for Namibia, urban and rural, 20152040: Medium variant

Source: NSA, 2014b, p. ii.

Namibias population in 2041 is projected to be 3.44 million, growing
from a base of 2.11 million, that is, a growth rate of 63 per cent. However,
there is substantial variation in expected changes within Namibia, due in large
measure to the assumptions that recent patterns of migration will continue
into the figure. From 2011 to 2041, rural areas are expected to shrink gradually,
while urban areas, largely due to in-migration from rural areas, are projected to
increase sharply. The population of the Khomas region in particular is expected
to increase from 341,000 to 828,000 (that is, far more than double).205 Key
highlights and findings from a recent Namibia Population Projections 20112041
report are as follows:206

(a) The share of population living in urban areas is projected to increase
from 43 per cent in 2011 to 67 per cent in 2041. Over this period, the
urban population is expected to more than double while the rural
population will gradually shrink.

204 See Part C.1.1 and Part D.2.3 for essential data.
205 NSA, 2014b, p. ii.
206 Ibid., pp. ii, 50.

84 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(b) The populations of Khomas and Erongo are projected to increase the
most in both numerical and percentage terms. By 2041, over a third
of Namibias population is projected to live in these two regions, up
from under a quarter in 2011.

(c) International net migration at a national level is presumed to be zero
(inflows cancel outflows). However, it is noted that evidence for a
net inflow or outflow of migration in recent years is ambiguous. Also,
migration is far more unstable than fertility or mortality and can
quickly reverse direction, given economic or social upheavals.

E.2. miGRatiON aND DEvElOPmENt: a PRiNciPlED
FRamEWORK

E.2.1. united Nations

In its groundbreaking and direction-setting 2009 Human Development
Report, the UNDP commented comprehensively on the nexus between migration
and development, and made specific recommendations on mainstreaming
migration into national development planning.207

Box 12: The nexus between migration and development

Regarding the former, that is, the migration-development nexus, the UNDP indicated that there is a range
of evidence about the positive impacts of migration on human development (that is, putting people at
the centre of development), through such avenues as increased household incomes and improved access
to education and health services. The report indicates that there is further evidence that migration can
empower traditionally disadvantaged groups, in particular women. However, at the same time, risks to
human development are also present where migration is a reaction to threats and denial of choice, and
where regular opportunities for movement are constrained. Generally, the movement of migrant workers
is said to be caused by so-called push and pull factors. The push factors include a low standard of living
and the lack of work opportunities, while the pull factors refer to (among others) the availability of
relatively well-paid work in the receiving country.208 The labour migration process is further aided by ever-
improving systems of communication and transportation.

As regards the second issue, that is, locating the mainstreaming of
migration, the report argues that large gains to human development can be
achieved by lowering the barriers to movement and improving the treatment
of movers: a bold vision to realize this is required. It suggests that the positive
effects on human development can be enhanced by adopting a range of mutually

207 UNDP, Human Development Report: Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development (UNDP, New
York, 2009).

208 See also S. Sivakumaran (2004), The rights of migrant workers one year on: Transformation or consolidation?
Georgetown Journal of International Law, 36:113.

85Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

enforcing and supporting measures within the framework of six areas of principal
(policy) reforms, which all have important and complementary contributions
to make to human development, and includes mainstreaming migration into
national development planning:

(a) Opening up existing entry channels so that more workers can
emigrate regularly;

(b) Thereby ensuring basic rights for migrants;
(c) Lowering the transaction costs of migration, including smuggling and

trafficking services;
(d) Finding solutions that benefit both destination communities and the

migrants they receive;
(e) Making it easier for people to move within their own countries; and
(f) Mainstreaming migration into national development strategies.209

In its reflection on mobility and national development strategies,
the report notes that to date, national development and poverty reduction
strategies have tended not to recognize the potential of mobility, nor integrated
its dynamics into planning and monitoring, which is partly due to the range of
other pressing national priorities. However, some more recent National Human
Development Reports display a greater sensitivity towards the mainstreaming of
migration into national development planning. The same holds true for the role
of migration in poverty reduction strategies.

A follow-up UN High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development
took place in October 2013; its purpose was to identify concrete measures to
strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing
the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its
important links to development, while reducing its negative implications.210
Mainstreaming migration into development was one of the four themes of the
2013 Dialogue.

209 UNDP, 2009, pp. 34. See also UN, International Migration Report 2006: A Global Assessment (UN DESA,
Population Division, New York, 2009).

210 See www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/HLD2013/mainhld2013.html. See also the Declaration of the
High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development adopted by the UN General Assembly
at this occasion: www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---migrant/documents/
meetingdocument/wcms_226556.pdf, as well as the summary of the proceedings, stressing among others
the importance of ensuring that the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals Agenda (UN, Crucial
Importance of Strengthening Link between Migrants, Post-2015 Development Agenda Stressed as General
Assembly Adopts Declaration, Coverage of the Sixty-Eighth General Assembly, 3 October 2013. Available
from www.un.org/press/en/2013/ga11434.doc.htm).

86 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

E.2.2. african union

In 2006, the African Union adopted two overarching African Union
frameworks on migration, which both concern the debate on mainstreaming
migration for developmental purposes:211

The 2006 Migration Policy Framework for Africa (AUMPF),212 covering
nine key areas of intervention, one being migration and development.213
Three issues are included within this area, namely collaboration with
African diaspora, brain drain and remittance transfers. Some of the
recommended actions in the policy imply or even suggest the adoption of
national frameworks (including (labour) migration policies and legislative
measures) to ensure that appropriate effect is given to the policy direction,
for example, the recommendations to the following:

Develop national plans of action aimed at comprehensive approaches to
migration and development in order to contribute to the achievement of
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).214

and

Include Migration, in the framework of development strategies and
national and regional programming & with the purpose of supporting the
economic and social development of the regions (rural and urban) from
which migrants originate in order to address the root causes of migration
and to reduce poverty.215

211 See generally H. Klavert, African Union frameworks for migration: current issues and questions for the
future, European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) Discussion paper no.108, June
2011 (ECDPM, The Netherlands).

212 African Union, The Migration Policy Framework for Africa, Executive Council, Ninth Ordinary Session, 2529
June 2006, Banjul, The Gambia, Document EX.CL/276 (IX).

213 The other key areas are as follows: (a) labour migration; (b) border management; (c) irregular migration;
(d) forced displacement; (e) the human rights of migrants; (f) internal migration; (g) migration data;
(h) migration and development; and (i) interstate cooperation and partnerships; as well as a number of
cross-cutting issues: poverty and conflict, health, environment, trade, gender, children adolescent and
youth, and the elderly.

214 Par II 7.1.
215 Par II 9.1.

87Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The 2006 African Common Position on Migration and Development216
focuses on the several priorities, including migration and development.217
This document notes with concern that the emphasis on addressing illegal or
irregular migration has been only on security considerations rather than broader
development frameworks and mainstreaming migration in development
strategies.218 It appeals for the adoption of a human rights approach as far as
the treatment of irregular migrants is concerned.219 Mainstreaming migration
into national development plans is indicated as a key intervention to be adopted
at national level.220 In the accompanying Decision of the Executive Council
of the African Union, Member States are urged to mainstream migration in
development strategies and implementation especially in the area of human
resource development.221

E.3. EcONOmic DEvElOPmENt

E.3.1. Remittances222

According to a recent World Bank Brief,223 the number of international
migrants is expected to exceed 250 million in 2015, and their savings and
remittances are expected to continue to grow. The officially recorded remittance
flows to developing countries are estimated to have reached USD 436 billion
in 2014 (the corresponding figure for Africa is USD 33 billion), an increase of
4.4 per cent over a year ago. This figure is expected to grow slightly, to reach
USD 440 billion in 2015, an increase of 0.9 per cent over the previous year.
Global remittances, including those to high income countries, are projected to
grow by 0.4 per cent to USD 586 billion, up from USD 583 in 2014. This is more
than double the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in the world.

216 African Union, African Common Position on Migration and Development, Executive Council, Ninth Ordinary
Session, 2529 June 2006, Banjul, The Gambia, Document EX.CL/277 (IX).

217 The other priorities include the following: (a) human resource and the brain drain; (b) labour migration;
(c) remittances; (d) African diaspora; (e) migration and peace, security and stability; and (f) regional
initiatives and various cross-cutting issues: human rights; gender, children and youth, health, environment,
trade, and access to social services.

218 See the preamble.
219 Ibid., par. 3.7.
220 Ibid., par. 5.1.
221 Ibid., Annex 1, item 4.
222 See part D.3.2. for essential data.
223 World Bank, 2015a; see also World Bank, Remittances growth to slow sharply in 2015, as Europe and

Russia stay weak; pick up expected next year, World Bank press release, 13 April 2015. Available from
www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2015/04/13/remittances-growth-to-slow-sharply-in-2015-
as-europe-and-russia-stay-weak-pick-up-expected-next-year.

88 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Globally the evidence reveals that remittance income in developing
countries provides a stable flow of income, is exceeded only by foreign direct
investment, and exceeds donor and capital market flows.224 Data on the extent
of remittance flows in SADC is not generally available.225 And yet, despite
temporary fluctuations, remittances remain a primary source of household
income in migrant-sending SADC countries.226 It is especially at the household
level that remittance income constitutes a significant livelihood strategy for
Southern Africans across all skill levels.227 A recent study undertaken in five SADC
countries found that 85 per cent of migrant-sending households receive cash
remittances;228 these are sent on a regular basis and easily outstrip agriculture
in relative importance as a household income source.229 In fact, the same
study remarks that, [A]cross the region as a whole, annual median income
from wage employment and cash remittances is the same & When cash and
commodities are combined, however, the value of remittances exceeds all other
forms of income.230 Remittances are primarily used for consumption spending,
in particular for household food security and other basic needs.231

Importantly, in addition to sending money to their families, international
migrants hold significant savings in their destination countries. Diaspora
savings attributed to migrants from developing countries were estimated at
USD 497 billion in 2013, which is the latest data available. Future inflows of
remittances can be used as collateral to facilitate international borrowings by
national banks in developing countries. Remittances can also facilitate access
to international capital markets by improving sovereign ratings and debt
sustainability of recipient countries. A recent World Bank Brief notes that because
remittances are large and more stable than many other types of capital flows,
they can greatly enhance the recipient countrys sovereign credit rating, thus
lowering borrowing costs and lengthening debt maturity. In fact, as indicated in
the brief, in a recent development, rating agencies have started accounting for
remittances in country credit ratings, but given data difficulties, there is still room
for further improvement. The brief also points out that the joint World Bank-IMF
low-income country Debt Sustainability Framework now includes remittances
in evaluating the ability of the countries to repay external obligations and their
ability to undertake non-concessional borrowing from other private creditors.232

224 Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, pp. 78; Ramírez, Domínguez and Morais, 2005, p. 52.
225 Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, p. 11.
226 During the 1990s, remittances to many areas in SADC, especially Lesotho and Swaziland, fell (see ibid., pp.

78), presumably as a result of the comprehensive retrenchments which occurred on South African mines.
227 Ibid., 17.
228 Pendleton et al., 2006, p. 4.
229 Ibid., p. 5.
230 Ibid.
231 Ibid. pp. 67.
232 World Bank, 2015b.

89Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Box 13: Remittances and economic development

Remittances also play a significant role in the economic development of SADC countries. As remarked in a
recent study, and echoing the international experience in this regard,233 [F]or national economies, cross-
border remittances are a source of foreign exchange and taxes, contribute to the balance of payments,
and provide capital for enterprises and valuable household incomes.234 SADC governments and even
international organizations have therefore started to integrate remittances as a tool for development in
their poverty reduction strategies.235

Box 14: The value of remittances

Total remittances in 2014 reached $583 billion. This is more than double the ODA in the world. India
received $70 billion, China $64 billion, the Philippines $28 billion. With new thinking these mega flows can
be leveraged to finance development and infrastructure projects, said Kaushik Basu, World Bank Chief
Economist and Senior Vice President. He pointed out, Israel and India have shown how macro liquidity
crises can be managed by tapping into the wealth of diaspora communities. Mexican migrants have
boosted the construction sector. Tajikistan manages to nearly double its consumption by using remittance
money. Migrants and remittances are clearly major players in todays global economy.

Source: World Bank, 2015c.

Evidence from SADC suggests that remittances are predominantly spent
on consumption, and that there is little reinvestment of income in savings.236
There is, therefore, a close correlation between migration and poverty alleviation
in SADC. Remittances to SADC countries consequently have little developmental
value, in the traditional sense of the word.237 More nuanced approaches,
however, suggest that development should be defined in broader social terms.
Using remittances to enhance human capital spending (improving nutrition,
health and education) thus has a social development impact.238

It is suggested that migration and welfare policies in this regard have a role
that goes beyond poverty alleviation, income transfer for consumption purposes
and social development in the sense used here. For example, as noted above,
available evidence indicates that migration has both a positive and negative
impact on gender roles.239 Women who stay behind often carry an increased
burden of care and support. They may also be constrained as far as the use of

233 See Thouez, 2005.
234 Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, p. 18.
235 Ramírez, Dominguez and Morais, 2005, p. 52.
236 Pendleton et al., 2006, pp. 67.
237 Ibid., 7.
238 See Pendleton et al., 2006, p. 11.
239 See UN Economic and Social Council, Gender permeates causes, consequences of international migration,

Commission on Status of Women Told, Fiftieth Session (WOM/1544), UN Economic and Social Council press
release, 2 March 2006, p. 1.

90 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

remittances is concerned.240 It is therefore necessary to develop evidence-based
migration and welfare policies that are sensitive to the wider implications of
migration and family remittances.241

Nevertheless, to the extent that remittances do fulfil a crucial sustenance
and poverty alleviation role, it needs to be asked what role governments should
play to facilitate and support this mode of income and sometimes also goods
transfer. In Africa, it is clear that little has been done to improve and extend
the banking system to assist with the flow of remittances,242 despite the fact
that [F]or some countries in the developing world, the fees for monetary
transfers across international borders could be quite substantial in many
cases well above 10 per cent of the principal amount.243 Within SADC, there is
little evidence of comprehensive government policies to encourage remittance
transfer.244 Consideration should also be given to develop a dedicated legislative
provision and an appropriate operational framework be developed to allow
and operationalize the use of remittances for purposes of social security
contributions.

Importantly, in addition to sending money to their families, international
migrants hold significant savings in their destination countries. Diaspora
savings attributed to migrants from developing countries were estimated at
USD 497 billion in 2013, the latest data available. Future inflows of remittances
can be used as collateral to facilitate international borrowings by national banks
in developing countries. Remittances can also facilitate access to international
capital markets by improving sovereign ratings and debt sustainability of recipient
countries. The brief notes that because remittances are large and more stable
than many other types of capital flows, they can greatly enhance the recipient
countrys sovereign credit rating, thus lowering borrowing costs and lengthening
debt maturity. In fact, as indicated in the brief, in a recent development, rating
agencies have started accounting for remittances in country credit ratings, but
given data difficulties, there is still room for further improvement. The brief also
points out that the joint World Bank-IMF low-income country Debt Sustainability
Framework now includes remittances in evaluating the ability of the countries

240 See part D.3.3.
241 See Ramírez, Domínguez and Morais, 2005, pp. 5253: And yet, studies on patterns of remittances,

transfer channels, use of remittances and their potential for development have barely considered the
gender perspective.

242 Black, 2004, p. 14.
243 R. Holzmann, J. Koettl and T. Chernetsky, Portability Regimes of Pension and Health Care Benefits for

International Migrants: An Analysis of Issues and Good Practices, Social Protection Discussion Paper No.
0519 (Paper prepared for the Global Commission on International Migration) (Social Protection Unit,
Human Development Network, World Bank 2005), p. 26.

244 Crush, Williams and Peberdy, 2005, p. 18.

91Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

to repay external obligations and their ability to undertake non-concessional
borrowing from other private creditors.

Box 15: The cost of transferring remittances

The brief further indicated that the global average cost of sending USD 200 held steady at 8 per cent of the
value of the transaction, as of the last quarter of 2014. However, sub-Saharan Africa registered the highest
average cost worldwide, that is, 12 per cent. Also, despite its potential to lower costs, the use of mobile
technology in cross-border transactions remains limited due to the regulatory burden related to combating
money laundering and terrorism financing, according to the brief. International remittances sent via mobile
technology accounted for less than 2 per cent of remittance flows in 2013, according to the latest available
data. In a special analysis on leveraging migration for financing development, the brief estimates that as
much as USD 100 billion in migrant savings could be raised annually by developing countries by reducing
remittance costs and migrant recruitment costs, as well as mobilizing diaspora savings and philanthropic
contributions from migrants.

Source: World Bank, 2015b.

E.3.2. the Namibian diaspora245

The value of the diaspora for the development and benefit of not only the
country of destination, but also the country of origin, is increasingly appreciated.
The value lies among others in the transfer of knowledge and skills, investments
and the transfer of remittances. It is for this reason that governments, including
governments in Africa, have gone to great lengths to establish legal, policy,
institutional and operational frameworks to recognize, support, engage with
and utilize diaspora for the development of the countries concerned. IOM,
in particular, has over the years been supportive of this kind of initiative. In
this regard, reference can be made to the recently completed Migration for
Development in Africa (MIDA) project. MIDA has been described as a general
strategy launched by the IOM in 2001 to facilitate the transfer of vital skills and
resources of the African diaspora to their countries of origin. The overall objective
of MIDA is to assist governments in Africa to achieve their development goals
through the creation and strengthening of sustainable links between migrants
and their countries of origin. It has been suggested that MIDA focuses on the
circulation of competencies, expertise and experience of the diasporas, without
jeopardizing their legal status in their host countries or newly adopted home
countries.246

245 See part D.3.2. for essential data.
246 IOM, Migration and Development in Africa MIDA: Ghana, Senegal (IOM Liaison Mission to Italy and Regional

Coordination Office for the Mediterranean, 2014). Available from http://diaspora.iom.int/migration-
development-africa-mida-ghana-senegal.

92 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

One of the successful MIDA projects has been the MIDA Ghana Health
Project. Its operation is depicted below:

Figure 10: MIDA Ghana Health Project

» Matching needs in Ghana with skills available in the diaspora

» Pre-departure arrangements

» Facilitation of travel and entry into Ghana

» Assignments in health institutions

» Monitoring and evaluation

Source: J. Rispoli, The MIDA Ghana experience in engaging its medical diaspora, Presentation, Training Workshop on Labour Migration
and Development, Luanda, Angola, 912 September 2014.

The health professionals so procured were involved in several types of
assignments, including teaching, public health education, research and feasibility
studies, clinical practice and health management and technical support. The
achievements have been remarkable: since 2006, over 21,000 health workers and
students in Ghana have directly benefited from capacity-building initiatives.247 In
Rwanda, under the auspices of the MIDA Great Lakes project, more than 100
diaspora health professionals have been involved.248 More than 150 institutions
benefited from capacity-building initiatives in over 400 temporary expert
missions by the diaspora in the Great Lakes region. Similarly, partnerships forged
for entrepreneurial and community co-development initiatives and networking
between professors and researchers of the diaspora and local institutions
have resulted in more than 150 project proposals from migrant entrepreneurs
received and 12 co-development projects supported, including training for 40
beneficiaries. In this way, hundreds of permanent and temporary employment
opportunities have been created for local populations in Ghana and Senegal.249

As far as SADC is concerned, Mudungwe reports as follows:250

Although they account for a relatively small proportion of the total
migration stock in the region, the high profile nature of regional citizens
in the diaspora begs for their inclusion in the migration and development

247 Ibid.
248 Interview with Mr Gahamanyi Parfait, Director-General, Rwandan Community Abroad, MINAFFET (Ministry

of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation), Rwanda, 19 June 2014.
249 See www.migration4development.org/content/mida-migration-development-africa
250 Mudungwe, 2012, pp. 6970.

93Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

discourse in the region. Despite their potential in contributing to the
development of their countries of origin and the region at large, not much
is known about this group of migrants, save for the health professional
category on which considerable research has been undertaken. [...] Besides
their contribution in the form of remittances, which [&] are substantial,
regional citizens in the diaspora can contribute the development of the
region through the transfer of skills to professionals in the region, direct
investment, and short-term and virtual return programmes that could
benefit sectors such as education and health.

Mudungwe then indicates steps that some governments in SADC have
taken to harness the role of diasporas for development:

Box 16: Measures adopted by SADC governments to harness the role of diasporas for
development

Some countries in the region realize the role which their diasporas can play in socio-economic development,
and have set out to engage their citizens abroad. For instance, Zambia has established an Office of Diaspora
Affairs, formed a national technical working group on diaspora, and has developed a diaspora engagement
framework. [...] Between 2008 and 2010 with the support of IOM, Zimbabwe implemented a short-term
return programme for Zimbabwean university lecturers and nurse training tutors in the diaspora who
returned to teach at state universities and nurse training schools on a short-term basis. The Zimbabwe
experience demonstrated that working through and in collaboration with diaspora associations is critical to
the success of diaspora engagement programmes ... United by a shared affinity, diaspora groups (or home
associations) operate between continents and have the potential to use their structures for development
initiatives back home, yet their capacity for fundraising, service delivery and project management is limited.
[...] However, it appears there are no associations representing the SADC diaspora at regional level. Existing
diaspora associations are organized along national lines, focusing on issues specific to their respective
countries of origin, and are not geared towards engaging in regional development initiatives.

Source: Mudungwe, 2012, pp. 6970 (authorities omitted).

As indicated earlier, no legal, policy, institutional or operational framework
exists in Namibia to include the diaspora in development in Namibia.

E.3.3. tourism251

The value of tourism needs to be understood from the perspective of its
importance for the development of Namibia, also in the policy domain.252 The
tourism sector has been identified as the fastest growing industry in Namibia,
considering its contribution towards GDP. It has also been identified as a strategic

251 See Part D.1. for essential data.
252 See Ministry of Environment and Tourism, National Policy on Tourism for Namibia (Directorate of Tourism,

Windhoek, Namibia, 2008).

94 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

sector in the National Development Plan 4 (NDP4) with promise for growth and
job creation by the Government of Namibia.

The 2014 World Travel and Tourism Council Report on Namibia contains
comprehensive, rich and valuable comparative information on the economic
impact of tourism, with particular reference to the value of travel and tourism to
GDP, employment in Namibia, exports from and investment in Namibia.253 The
report, while seemingly not relying directly on the Namibia Tourist Statistical
Reports, is said to be aligned with the methodological framework of the UN
Statistics Division-approved 2008 Tourism Satellite Account and benchmarked
against the official, published Tourist Satellite Account.254 The report indicates
the following, among others:

(a) GDP contribution: Direct contribution of travel and tourism to
Namibian GDP, rising from 3.0 per cent in 2013 with an average 9.2
per cent annually, from 2014 to 2024, to 5.3 per cent of total GDP in
2024;255

(b) Employment: In 2013, travel and tourism directly supported 24,000
jobs (4.5% of total employment), and is expected to rise to 53,000
jobs in 2014 (6.7% of total employment);256

(c) Visitor exports: Visitor exports, which generated 7.9 per cent of total
exports in 2013, is expected to rise to 10.7 per cent of total exports
in 2024;257 and

(d) Investment: Travel and tourism investment constituted 11.5 per cent
of total investment in 2013; this is forecast to rise to 13.3% per cent
of total investment in 2014.258

In addition, the 2012/20132016/2017 Strategic Plan of the Ministry
of Environment and Tourism indicates Community-Based Natural Resource
Management as one of six objectives to be attained, emphasizing, among others,
the role of tourism in the socioeconomic development of rural communities.259

253 World Travel and Tourism Council, 2014.
254 Ibid., p. 16.
255 Ibid., p. 1, read with 15.
256 Ibid.
257 Ibid.
258 Ibid.
259 Afrika a la Carte Reisen, 2015.

95Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

E.4. EMPLOYMENT, LABOUR MARKET AND SKILLS
DEvElOPmENt

E.4.1. Skills development

It is suggested that the potential role that migration, and therefore the
availability of reliable data (including migration data) can play in contributing to
skills development in Namibia appears from the following overview of labour
market shortcomings contained in Namibias National Human Resources Plan
20102025 (NHRP):260

The NHRP is largely based on Namibias Occupational Demand and Supply
Outlook Model (NODSOM)261 which allows forecasting of occupational
gaps over time with the objective of providing an integrated accounting
framework to analyse the status and evolution of the labour market.
By quantifying occupational gaps, NODSOM can provide useful clues
with regards to identifying and understanding major labour market
trends and issues requiring policy attention within the planning process.
NODSOM provides information for employers, employees, employment
agencies and policymakers, thus facilitating a labour market balance
while reducing adjustment costs and enhancing capacity for productivity
and competitiveness. Additionally, it also helps create the path to ensure
that workers are employed in occupations that correspond to their skill
level. This is a key step in transitioning to an industrialized economy and
ultimately reducing socioeconomic barriers to employment. On the public
side of the spectrum, occupational forecasting informs social investment in
education and social welfare.

The gap analysis figures generated from NODSOM indicate major
shortages that are most critical in occupations requiring trade training
and professions in the hard sciences. This is aggravated by the existing
constraints in both the [Vocational and Education Training] VET system and
the higher education system. The VET system is currently not adequately
geared to meet current and future labour market demands for skills due
to its limited access (with annual enrolment averages of 2,000 students),
its focus on traditional trades, inefficient allocation of resources, the

260 NPC, Republic of Namibia, National Human Resources Plan 20102025 (Office of the President, NPC, 2012),
pp. viiviii.

261 NODSOM is a tool developed by the NPC in 2011 (Ibid., p. 31).

96 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

under preparedness of students and the lack of experienced instructors to
promote competence based learning.

The university sector also requires investment at all levels to bring
education up to standard for the required economic growth. Overall
investment should be targeted towards greater access, industry relevant
curriculum review, upgrade in teaching methods, and, most of all,
development of research capacity. This is consistent with the findings in
the 2011 Global Competitiveness Report which ranked Namibia at 113th
out of 142 countries in higher education and training. The ability of the
country to perform applied research in critical areas such as agriculture,
fisheries, geology, information technology and manufacturing is severely
hampered by the lack of qualified graduates in engineering, biology,
chemistry, mathematics and information technology.

Furthermore, since most of the demand for professionals appears to be
in the public sector (health, education, social services, extraterritorial
organizations), it is important to strengthen university links to the private
sector either through internship programmes (co-op) or applied research,
to induce demand for a qualified supply. In other words, as the private
sector gains from university professionals, they are more likely to hire
locally when it comes to higher-level positions. This is quite relevant
when considering employers with multinational links where higher level
positions are usually recruited from developed countries. The idea here is
to slowly reverse that trend by improving the quality of local professionals.

The NHRP proposes intervention strategies formulated for the short term
(15 years), the medium term (610 years) and the long term (1115
years), under the categories of:

1. Institutional and Policy development.
2. Data management and information dissemination.
3. Improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the education

and training system.
4. Prioritization of critical occupations for human resources planning.
5. Addressing unemployment and employability skills.

However, only limited reference to/linking with migration is made in the
NHRP. Cursory reference is made in the NHRP to internal migration, and the

97Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

need to develop and implement a coordinated LMIS, which should provide the
following information, including information relating to emigration:262

(a) Population and labour force (all variables by age, sex, region and
urban/rural);

(b) Employment and unemployment (all variables by age, sex, region
and urban/rural);

(d) Labour demand and supply (NODSOM);
(e) Labour internal mobility;
(f) Emigration;
(g) Industrial relations (trade unions by industry, disputes, collective

bargaining and others);
(h) Employment in the informal sector, including wages and earnings (all

variables by type of business activity, industry and occupation); and
(i) Training and education programmes (competencies) and employment

prospects.

As indicated later in this profile, the key importance of job creation, also
as a measure to address ruralurban migration, already appears from two of
Namibias foundational documents, namely Vision 2030 and NDP4. Namibias
priority areas for employment creation between 2013 and 2017 are outlined in
the Namibian National Employment Policy (NEP) document.263 The NEP is linked
to both NDP4 and Namibias industrial policy, and has five entry points:264

(a) Institutional environment: Promote a sustainable environment
for formal small and medium enterprise (SME) development and
capacity-building for social dialogue;

262 Ibid., pp. 5859. The NHRP (ibid.) indicates that an optimal Labour Market Information System (LMIS)
should provide the following information and data:
" Core labour force statistics;
" Demand data (skill requirements for specific occupations, jobs in high demand, occupations with good

job prospects, trends in employment demand, industry and economic forecasts of job openings and
others);

" Supply data (occupational supply);
" Occupational characteristics (profiles of major occupations in the economy providing information

on main duties, education/training and skill requirements, employment prospects and special skills/
abilities of each occupation);

" Cross-walks and links that connect different data sets, such as occupational education and training
requirements, training programme information, industry human resource demands, employment
prospects, nationally and regionally and websites for obtaining more relevant information.

263 NEP, 20132017.
264 Ibid.

98 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(b) Education and skills: Increase youth employability through a relevant
and effective VET system accessible in all regions;

(c) Reduce extreme poverty: Introduce appropriate cash transfer
programmes and increase access to employment for vulnerable
groups;

(d) Public infrastructure: Increase the labour intensity of public
investment with a special focus on rural areas; and

(e) Implement appropriate fiscal and financial policies facilitating
productive investment and job creation and develop rural and
agricultural development programmes.

Box 17: Structural unemployment, skills development and job creation

Large-scale structural unemployment in Namibia necessitates serious investment in skills development
and job creation. Regarding the former, the Government of Namibia has invested heavily in among others
vocational training, supported by the compulsory imposition of a skills levy. However, it appears, as also
acknowledged by the Government of Namibia, that this needs to be accompanied by a diversification
of economic activity focus, away from a reliance primarily on agriculture and mineral extraction to
manufacturing and the service sector. In this way, there would be less need to rely on migration as a way
to secure an income.

" Vocational training centres (under the auspices of the National Training
Authority (NTA));

" Education and Training Improvement Plan, reforming the education and
training sector;

" Establishment of a VET / Training Levy;
" Establishment of an Employment Creation Commission (by the MLIREC);
" Piloting of the Namibia Integrated Employment Information System, also

known as the Namibia@Work programme, and the registration of job-

265 A. Govindjee, M. Olivier and O. Dupper (2011), Activation in the context of the unemployment insurance
system in South Africa, Stellenbosch Law Review (SLR), 22(1):205227. For further support for the key
role of active labour market policies in containing the risk of rising structural unemployment, see OECD,
Preventing unemployment and underemployment from becoming structural, Report prepared for the G20
Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, 1011 September 2014, p. 14.

99Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

seekers and related job-search functions by the Employment Services
Division of the MLIREC, briefly reflected below;

" Functions performed by the Development Fund of the Social Security
Commission (SSC), including conducting training and employment
schemes;

" The Ministry of Gender offers an income-generating activity grant to
eligible persons who cannot access regular bank loans but who have
economically viable employment creation project proposals; and

" Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment and Economic Growth,
aimed to address the high unemployment rate while supporting strategic
high-growth sectors.

Mention should also be made of the newly established Employment
Services Division of the MLIREC, focused on job-seekers registration, aiming to
get people placed in jobs and boasting a computerized Integrated Employment
Information System for purposes of registration. The ministry then canvasses
with employers in an attempt to solicit employment for job-seekers, supported
by the Employment Service Act 2011.266 In terms of this law, every designated
employer267 must notify the Employment Services Bureau of any vacancy
or new position in its employment establishment.268 In response, the bureau
must ascertain whether suitably qualified job-seekers are registered with the
integrated employment information system and are available for work and refer
the particulars of such job-seekers to the designated employer (or prospective
employer) within a prescribed period.269 No designated employer or prospective
employer may fill a vacancy or a new position without good faith consideration
of any suitably qualified job-seeker referred to him or her by the bureau.270 The
system is apparently also able to include information from training institutions,
such as short courses being offered.271 While over 50,000 people have been
registered in this manner, under 2,000 people were placed during 2014/15.272

266 Act 8 of 2011 (the Employment Service Act (ESA)). The ESA establishes a National Employment Service
to provide professional labour market services for the purpose of achieving full, productive and decent
employment in Namibia, and consists of the Employment Services Board and the Employment Services
Bureau: S 2 of the ESA.

267 Designated employers are now those employing 25 workers: minutes of meeting with MOLSW (February
2015).

268 S 16. If a designated employer or prospective employer intends to fill any vacant or new position or
advertises for applications, it must notify the bureau.

269 S 16(4) of the ESA.
270 S 16(5). When a job-seeker is referred, the employer must report to the bureau whether it employed the

job-seeker or not (S 16(7)). Failure to comply with this section amounts to an offence in terms of the Act.
271 Minutes of meeting with MOLSW (February 2015). Training institutions are expected to report enrolment,

qualifications offered and number of people graduating so that the gap between available skills and vacant
jobs may close. The 2014 Skills Assessment Survey should assist in this regard.

272 Ibid.

100 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

These figures suggest severe limitations with the repository-focused system,
no doubt compounded by a general lack of available work opportunities. In
particular, by focusing on registration of work seekers, job vacancies and skills
development opportunities, the system apparently attempts to play matchmaker
without actively working to create job opportunities.

E.5. SOcial DEvElOPmENt

E.5.1. Urbanization273

Namibia has managed to couple steady economic growth with meaningful
socioeconomic development, resulting in a general decline of poverty in the
country. Some regions of the country, however, continue to battle difficult living
conditions, and unemployment and inequality remains a pressing problem.

The data suggests that there is a high rate of rural-to-urban migration
prevalent in the country, as people move to the cities in search of education, jobs
and a better (urban) life, including improved services and facilities. Consideration
of the age demographic of migrants in Namibia (with lifetime migrations being
most likely for people between ages 2559 and short-term migration likelihood
highest at ages 2034) supports the view that employment and occupation
are key drivers of what is occurring. It should be understood that finding a job
is often an arduous process. This is particularly significant in the context of a
country beset by unemployment commonly considered to be of a structural
nature (resulting from a long-term mismatch between the demand for labour
and its supply).

It must also be noted that people in Namibia living in rural areas, or in
female-headed households or households headed by persons without formal
education or reliant on pensions or subsistence farming are more likely to be
living in poverty. Poverty rates are especially high in households headed by the
elderly, highlighting the importance of income generation during the working
years, as well as the need for better ways in which to ensure income retention.
It has been noted that the ability of Namibians to escape poverty could depend
on their ability to obtain wages and salaries from employment. Persons who are
unable to be achieve this objective are likely to return to rural areas in the event
that their support structures and families are located there, possibly resulting
in the aggravation of difficult conditions experienced by family members and
compounding poverty challenges in rural areas.

273 See Part D.5.1. for essential data.

101Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

It is assumed that, within the context of urbanization, urban living is
associated with higher levels of education, better health infrastructures, greater
access to social services and opportunity of employment. However, NSAs
Migration Report notes that in Namibia, little is known whether this influx of
migration to urban areas is helping to boost economic growth or is contributing to
poverty: In some instances high urban migration does not result in employment
opportunities or reduction in poverty. Nevertheless, one has to note for example
that unplanned and rapid urban growth may threaten urban development when
the necessary infrastructure or mechanisms (policies and strategies) are not put
in place and properly implemented to the benefit of everyone.274

The Migration Report concludes that Namibia will transit from being a
mostly rural society to a mostly urban one due to migration: In future censuses
and surveys further consideration of which migration questions should be
included, how they should be phrased and how they should be ordered would
be very helpful.275

It is therefore clear that urbanization is an important phenomenon in
Namibia. According to the Migration Report, a large portion of migration involves
that from rural to urban areas, with major implications in terms of access to
land,276 and health and development challenges.277

" In fact, recently undertaken studies relying on qualitative and quantitative
data sources reflect on the causes and consequences of ruralurban
migration. These sources indicate that migrants to cities and towns in
Namibia come from rural areas in search of employment opportunities278
and to have a better urban life, for education, as a result of climatic
conditions such as floods, and improved services and facilities.279 While
migrants mostly viewed urbanization as a positive experience, only few
succeed to make a living. Other key challenges include settling in informal

274 NSA, 2015b, p. 1.
275 NSA, 2015b, p. 23.
276 Ibid., p. 19.
277 Ibid., pp. iv, 19. Regarding health and development challenges, see below.
278 In fact, the Migration Report (at 20) notes that the population pyramid for urban areas in 2011 is bulky in

the middle and has a relative narrow apex, indicating the urban areas have a large proportion of working
age population: This is an indication that young adults are more prevalent in urban areas due to rural-
urban migration, which tends to peak at these ages.

279 A. Niikondo, Migrants to cities and towns in Namibia: What their interests are? (Polytechnic of Namibia
Ounongo Repository, 2010). Available from http://ir.polytechnic.edu.na/bitstream/handle/10628/249/
Niikondo.%20Migrants%20to%20cities%20and%20towns%20in%20Namibia.pdf?sequence=1);
N. Indongo, S. Angombe and N. Nickanor, Urbanisation in Namibia: Views from semi-formal and
informal settlements (University of Namibia, 2013). Available from www.unam.edu.na/wp-content/
uploads/2014/09/Urbanisation-in-Namibia.pdf, pp. iiii.

102 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

settlements, relying on income from informal sectors, increased demand
of services, poor sanitation, and significant associated health risks,
aggravated by overcrowded housing.280 Most of the migrant households
are poor and food insecure.281

Also, Namibias population density has been noted as a complicating factor
in respect of service delivery, also in the context of social benefit provisioning.282
This is also an important factor to consider when contemplating the literature
and interventions available in neighbouring countries. According to the latest
census data, the population density (that is, the number of people per square
kilometre) of Namibia has grown from 1.7 in 1991 to 2.6 in 2011. In comparison,
South Africas population density is 43.283 As the ILO has indicated, the countrys
low population density will continue to make the goal of delivering benefits and
services in an equitable and cost-efficient way a challenging proposition.284

E.5.2. Migration, health and well-being285

The NSAs Migration Report indicates that the WHO (2014), in its African
Health Observatory, noted that while urbanization brings along development
and other good opportunities, it is also associated with health challenges, such
as overcrowding, pollution, poor sanitation and unhealthy lifestyles, and all
these factors contribute to poor health for citizens of a country. These harsh
conditions are reflected in the Namibia urbanization environment and likely to
have more impact on the economic and social development of shack dwellers
in the informal settlements. According to the 2001 census, Moses|| Garoëb
constituencies in the Khomas region, for example, where the shack dwellers
occurrence has been continuing, 50.6 per cent of the households in these
constituencies had no toilet facilities, and this situation improved slightly to 48.6
per cent in 2011 (2001 census, National Planning Commission-Central Bureau
of Statistics and 2011 census, NSA). City of Windhoek (1995) findings shows
that 85 per cent of the inhabitants in the informal settlements came from the
northern regions. They have a lower level of education, are unemployed and
younger, with lower income, hence only able to afford paying very little towards
meeting their housing needs. The findings in this report indicate that 63 per cent

280 Indongo, Angombe and Nickanor, 2013, pp. iiiii.
281 W. Pendleton, J. Crush and N. Nickanor (2014), Migrant Windhoek: RuralUrban Migration and Food

Security in Namibia, Urban Forum 25(2): 191205 (Springer Science + Business Media, Dordrecht). Available
from www.academia.edu/7869052/Migrant_Windhoek_Rural-Urban_Migration_and_Food_Security_in_
Namibia

282 Ibid.
283 Ibid.
284 ILO, 2014, p. 20.
285 See Part C.1.5. for essential data.

103Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

of the respondents cited unemployment as the main reason for migrating to
urban areas.286

Box 18: Health vulnerabilities of migrants and mobile populations

Two recent studies on the health vulnerabilities of migrants and mobile populations in three informal
settlements in Windhoek and in Walvis Bay have confirmed the vulnerable health context of certain
migrant communities. The Windhoek study indicated conditions experienced in overcrowded contexts,
including sanitation challenges, limited access to basic health services, (possible) overcharging of cross-
border migrants, and risky sexual behaviour: there is indeed need to extend health services in these
contexts.287 The Walvis Bay study reports that the majority of informants were very knowledgeable about
HIV/AIDS, expressed few prejudices, and use professional medical services when necessary: In this
instance, there is an abundance of public and NGO services in the town. Walvis Bay represents a classical
port in terms of concurrent, commercial and transactional sexual relationships in the port environs. There
is a high risk of HIV and STI transmission in this context.288

Migration variables are considered by the MOHSS in its programming for
HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. Yet it has been noted that there is the need to
improve data on health and migration, mobilize increased research studies on
migrants health and migration-related issues, as well as increased advocacy.
Also, support should be mobilized to strengthen the sustainability of sector-based
workplace health programmes that are migrant inclusive, covering all spaces of
vulnerability. These are matters also to be considered within the framework
of the PHAMESA II programme, namely the programme that focuses on four
spaces of vulnerability: transport corridors, mixed migration routes, urban
settings and the extractive industry. As has been noted, by following the spaces
of vulnerability approach, IOM focuses on geographical areas, where, as a result
of migration and mobility general communities regardless, face increased health
vulnerability. In particular, as mentioned before, in Namibia, the PHAMESA II
programme responds to and informs the development of the Namibia Health
and Migration Promotion Strategy.289

The state of health and social well-being in Namibia is a matter of national
importance.290 The Government of Namibia aims at the attainment of a level
of health and social well-being by all Namibians, so that economically and
socially productive lives may be led. The approach adopted in Namibia is based
on promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services in collaboration

286 NSA, 2015b, p. iv.
287 IOM, Study of health vulnerabilities of migrants and mobile populations in three informal settlements in

Windhoek, Namibia (IOM Namibia, 2015) (on hand).
288 Sustainable Development Africa cc. Study on health vulnerabilities of mobile populations and affected

communities in selected ports of Southern Africa Walvis Bay, Namibia (IOM Namibia, 2014) (on hand).
289 IOM, National Migration and Health Promotion Strategy (Baseline assessment) (Draft report, 2015).
290 See, for example, MOHSS, Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, Report to the President

(MOHSS, Windhoek, Namibia, 2013), p. ii.

104 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

with other sectors, communities, individuals and partners.291 Despite the stated
focus, a range of shortcomings in respect of health delivery in the country have
been identified in among others the Report of the Presidential Commission of
Inquiry (2013), including the following:292

(a) Shortage of health professionals, including allied health professionals,
partly caused by inadequate levels of training and lack of incentives;293

(b) The quality of patient care in public health facilities in Namibia is
below par;

hospitals, clinics and health centres being dilapidated and in decay;
and

(e) Status of available medical equipment and infrastructure.

In addition, given the countrys low population density, outreach of all
public services such as health care is of critical concern.294

Real expenditure on public health has shown a significant increase from
2008 onwards. The most 2014/15 budget statement, for example, allocated
6.01 billion Namibian dollars, with the resources aimed at the following:
(a) development and upgrade of health facilities across the country;
(b) acquisition of health equipment and supplies; and (c) recruitment and
training of medical staff.295

Despite this, the Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry
suggests that funding to this ministry should progress towards achieving the
Abuja Declaration target of 15 per cent of the government budget for health.

291 Ibid.
292 MOHSS, 2013, pp. iiivi. According to the ILO, the perceived quality issues associated with the public system

have resulted in the growth of a private, more expensive health-care sector, and with it the establishment
of medical insurance funds and schemes (ILO, 2014, p. 86).

293 See ILO, 2014, p. 87, confirming that skills shortages persist throughout the public system, and that the
higher paying private sector offers a natural alternative. For example, while there were 8.8 health workers
per 1,000 population in the private sector, the figure was only 2.0 in the public sector. Significantly, failure
on the part of the Social Security Commission Employee Compensation Fund to raise the tariffs payable to
medical service providers and related service providers have resulted in refusal to accept ECF cases in the
past. This results in such instances being treated as if they were private cases, for which either the member
has to pay out of ones pocket or use their medical aid for an injury on duty.

294 ILO, 2014, p. 85. The public health-care system, including mission facilities subsidized by the government,
includes 30 public district hospitals, 44 health centres and 265 clinics. The district hospitals are supported
by three intermediate hospitals, as well as one national referral hospital. The more remote parts of the
country are serviced by a network of mobile clinic services at 1,150 outreach points throughout the country
(ILO, 2014, p. 86).

295 ILO, 2014, p. 86.

105Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

In addition, Namibia should, according to this report, take special and extreme
measures to upgrade the health facilities of the country, such as the possible
imposition of a special levy on all health services provided by private hospitals,
pharmacies and companies.296

E.6. ENviRONmENt297

Floods, desertification and droughts also have to be appreciated within
the context of the climate change debate. In a 2011 study, Namibia was classified
as the seventh most at-risk country globally in terms of agricultural production
losses due to climate change.298 It has been noted that this ranking is motivated
by the already arid conditions prevailing in Namibia, naturally providing difficult
climatic conditions for agriculture, which are further exacerbated by ongoing
and future land degradation: These further worsen the countrys vulnerability
to direct climate risk to agriculture, and consequently food security, health,
household economics and other livelihood relevant aspects. This is particularly
true for rural households and small-scale farmers who depend on subsistence
farming and even more for marginalized groups of society, such as women,
women-led households, and children.299

It has been remarked that Namibia is a regional leader in climate change
planning and has a comprehensive National Policy on Climate Change (NPCC)
with an associated implementation strategy and action plan. The NPCC notes,
inter alia, that climate change poses a serious threat to the achievement of
Namibias long-term development objectives and the MDGs. For this and other
reasons, the Government of Namibia places great emphasis on addressing
climate change and its effects and is committed to adopting a low carbon
development pathway.300

Namibia has been actively involved in the global climate change debate,
and committed itself to adopting appropriate measures. In 1997, Namibia ratified
the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), an almost universally
endorsed instrument with 195 Parties. It has already submitted its Intended

296 MOHSS, 2013, p. xi.
297 See Part D.2.9 and Part D.5.2 for essential data.
298 D. Wheeler, Quantifying Vulnerability to Climate Change: Implications for Adaptation Assistance, Working

Paper 240 (Centre for Global Development, Washington, D.C., 2011). Available from www.cgdev.org/
files/1424759_file_Wheeler_Quantifying_Vulnerability_FINAL.pdf.

299 UN Resident Coordinator, 2015.
300 United Nations Country Team Namibia, 2013, p. 36.

106 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Nationally Determined Contribution301 with a view to its participation in the
2015 Paris Climate Conference, known as Conference of the Parties 21 (COP21)
where a new binding global climate agreement is expected to be reached.302

Other measures that Namibia has taken include the following:303

(a) Namibia established a multisectoral National Climate Change
Committee, which was formed in 2001 to provide overall oversight
and advise the government on climate change issues;

(b) It also adopted the National Climate Change Policy in 2011 and a
National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (20132020) under
the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, which was approved by
Cabinet in 2014;

(c) Namibia was the first developing country to submit its first Biennial
Update Report in 2014; the second report is due in 2016;

(d) It has provided community-based green soft loans and grants from
the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia to sensitize the
community on climate change, and has reportedly taken steps to
reduce its dependency on non-natural energy sources, among others
through emphasizing use of green energy; and

(e) Kindly note that OPM/DDRM is currently developing a complementary
draft Climate Change and DRM Strategy to mainstream DRM and
climate change adaptation into development plans.

301 See UN Climate Change Newsroom, Namibia Submits its Climate Action Plan Ahead of 2015 Paris
Agreement, 29 September 2015. Available from http://newsroom.unfccc.int/unfccc-newsroom/namibia-
submits-its-climate-action-plan-ahead-of-2015-paris-agreement/

302 See generally IOM, Contributions to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
(IOM, Geneva, 2015). Available from https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/mecc_unccd_infosheet.
pdf; pp. 1, 5.

303 See, among others, Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, Park Talk-COP 21, Tuesday, 23 June 2015. Available
from www.fncc.org.na/news/park-talk-cop21

107Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

PaRt F: miGRatiON GOvERNaNcE

F.1. POlicy FRamEWORK

F.1.1. vision 2030 and NDP4

In 2004, Namibia adopted Vision 2030, a document that clearly spells out
the countrys development programmes and strategies to achieve its national
objectives.304 Vision 2030 focuses on eight themes in order to achieve its
objectives, such as the following:

(a) Inequality and social welfare;
(b) Human resources development and institutional capacity-building;
(c) Macroeconomic issues;
(d) Population, health and development; and
(e) Knowledge, information and technology.

Vision 2030 is also designed to promote the creation of a diversified,
open-market economy, with a resource-based industrial sector and commercial
agriculture, placing particular emphasis on skills development.305 In particular, the
main objectives of Vision 2030 include accelerating the process of job creation
by increasing support for small- and medium-scale enterprises, including the
creation of thousands of jobs. To achieve its vision, a series of seven five-year
NDPs is envisaged, focusing particularly on reviving and sustaining economic
growth, reducing inequality, creating employment, eradicating poverty,
promoting gender equality and equity, reducing regional inequalities, ensuring
environmental sustainability and combating HIV/AIDS.306 While Vision 2030
foresaw the reduction of the unemployment rate to under 5 per cent, NDP4,
discussed below, bemoans the fact that the unemployment rate has actually
increased to date.307

304 ILO, Namibia Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 20102014 (ILO Country Programme for Namibia,
2010). Available from www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/program/dwcp/download/namibia.pdf. pp. 89.
The objectives of Vision 2030 have direct regard to the MDGs and the ILO Decent Work Agenda for Africa.

305 Ibid.
306 ILO, 2010b, p. 29.
307 Government of Namibia, Namibias Fourth National Development Plan (NDP4) 2012/13 to 2016/17

(Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia, 2012). Available from www.npc.gov.na/?wpfb_dl=37, p. 26.

108 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

NDP4 is a high-level plan, leaving the detailed programmes on how to
achieve the various NDP4 goals and targets to the various offices, ministries
and agencies responsible, whose plans will be scrutinized by the National
Planning Commission (NPC).308 This plan, having reviewed economic and social
performance in Namibia, depicts the mixed performance of the country in
tackling key challenges. For example, while strong institutions, good governance,
the rule of law and the protection of property rights have been identified as
strengths, the growth trajectory has been criticized as being below par.309 It has
to be noted that NDP4 emphasizes employment creation, among others, as a
measure to mitigate ruralurban migration.310

NDP has adopted three overarching goals:

(a) High and sustained economic growth;
(b) Increased income equality; and
(c) Employment creation.

To reach these goals, the NDP has identified key areas of focus that will
create the necessary momentum for higher economic growth. These sectors are
as follows: (a) logistics; (b) tourism; (c) manufacturing; and (d) agriculture.

It needs to be pointed out that the UNPAF for Namibia was developed in
close coordination with the Government of Namibia, and essentially matches
the objectives of the NDP4.311 The development of NDP5 will commence in 2016;
the UNPAF will also be revised.

F.1.2. Other policies

Other policies relevant to the migration context include the following:

" Education Sector Policy for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (2008)
" Language Policy for Schools (2008)
" Minerals Policy of Namibia (2003)
" Namibia Students Financial Assistance fund (NSFAF) Policy (2006)
" Namibias Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Management (2004)
" Namibian National Employment Policy (2013)
" National Resettlement Policy (2001)

308 Ibid., p. vi. The National Planning Commission Act has been established, in terms of art. 129 of the
Namibian Constitution, as an office in the Presidency. Its task is to plan the priorities and direction of
national development.

309 Government of Namibia, 2014, p. xii.
310 Ibid., pp. 62, 85.
311 United Nations Country Team Namibia, 2014.

109Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

" Refugees: Draft Policy Framework for the Local Integration of Angolan
Refugees in Namibia (2011)

" Vocational Education and Training Policy (2005)
" Workplace HIV and AIDS Policy for the Education Sector (2003)

F.2. lEGal FRamEWORK

Laws that affect the migration context are, among others:

" Child Care and Protection Act, 2015 (Act no. 3 of 2015)
" Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, 1990
" Citizenship Act, 1990 (Act no. 14 of 1990)
" Decentralisation Enabling Act, 2000 (Act no. 33 of 2000)
" Departure from Namibia Regulation, 1993 (Act no. 4 of 1993)
" Education Act, 2001 (Act no. 16 of 2001)
" Employment Services, 2011 (Act no. 8 of 2011)
" Financial Intelligence Act, 2008 (Act no. 3 of 2008)
" Higher Education Act, 2003 (Act no. 26 of 2003)
" Immigration Control Act, 1993 (Act no. 7 of 1993)
" Labour Act, 2007 (Act no. 11 of 2007)
" Labour Amendment Act, 2012 (Act no. 2 of 2012)
" Local Authorities Act, 1992 (Act no. 23 of 1992)
" Marriage Act, 1961 (Act no. 25 of 1961)
" Married Persons Equality Act, 1996 (Act no. 1 of 1996)
" Namibia Refugees (Recognition and Control) Act, 1999 (Act no. 2 of 1999)
" National Planning Commission Act, 2013 (Act no. 2 of 2013)
" National Health Act, 2015 (Act no. 2 of 2015)
" Vocational Education and Training Act, 2008 (Act no. 1 of 2008)
" Higher Education Act, 2003 (Act no. 26 of 2003)
" Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), 2004 (Act no. 29 of 2004)
" Public Service Act, 1995 (Act no. 13 of 1995)
" Public Service Commission Act, 1990 (Act no. 2 of 1990)
" Public and Environment Health Act, 2015 (Act no. 2 of 2015)
" Regional Councils Act, 1992 (Act no. 22 of 1992)
" State Finance Act, 1991 (Act no. 31 of 1991)
" Statistics Act, 2011 (Act no. 9 of 2011)
" Trust Fund for Regional Development and Equity Provisions Act, 2000 (Act

no. 22 of 2000)

110 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

F.3. iNtERNatiONal aGREEmENtS

As noted in Namibias National Human Rights Action Plan 20152019,312

it is essential that Namibia embark on a structured approach for achieving
compliance to different international and regional human rights instruments
that it ratified.313 Although Namibia has submitted country reports to various
treaty bodies under prioritized conventions, it still lags behind in terms of
reports that are overdue, some even for over 10 years.314 Such a structured
approach will entail an education and awareness campaign on the relevant
conventions, a formal review or assessment of the human rights landscape
in terms of country obligations spelled out in the relevant conventions and a
complementary interventions schedule that will be informed by a consultative
process that engages all relevant stakeholders. This must eventually result in
Namibia meeting its reporting commitments to UN treaty bodies.

From the list below, it appears that Namibia has indeed ratified a large
number of international and regional instruments relevant to the migration area.
However, note should, in particular, be taken of certain important instruments
not yet ratified by Namibia, such as the following:

(a) ILO and UN Conventions in relation to migration in particular, ILO
Convention 143 of 1975 and the UN Migrant Workers Convention of
1990; and

(b) The two UN Conventions on statelessness 1960 and 1975.

312 Republic of Namibia, 2015, p. 42.
313 Namibia ratified 13 of the 18 core international human rights instruments inclusive of core and optional

protocols (International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD),
International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(ICESCR), CEDAW, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OP-CRC-AC), Optional Protocol to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OP-CRC-SC),
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Optional Protocol to the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities).

314 Namibia has six reports overdue, namely four initial reports (under ICESCR, OP-CRC-AC, CRC-OP-SC, CRPD),
and two periodic reports (under ICCPR and ICERD).

111Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Table 25: Ratified international and regional human rights instruments governing migration
issues

Key international and regional legal instruments Ratified/ acceded

UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000) (2002)

UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and
Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2004) (2002)

UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the UN
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000) (2002)

ILO Convention No. 29 concerning forced or compulsory labour, 1946 as Modified by the Final
Articles Revision (1946) (2000)

ILO Convention No 105 concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour (1956) (2000)

ILO Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of
the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999) (2000)

ILO Convention No. 138 concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (1973) (2000)

ILO Convention No. 97 concerning Migration for Employment (1949) x

ILO Convention No. 143 Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention (1975) x

ILO Convention No. 181 concerning Private Employment Agencies (1997) x

ILO Convention No. 81 concerning Labour Inspection in Industry and Commerce (1947) x

UN Slavery Convention of 1926 and amended by the Protocol of 1953 x

UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the
Prostitution of Others (1949)

UN Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and
Practices Similar to Slavery (1956)

UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
(1979) (1992)

UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (OP-CEDAW) (2002)

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (1989) (1990)

UN Optional Protocol on the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflict (OP-CRC-AC) (2002)

UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child
Prostitution and Child Pornography (2002)

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (2006) (2007)

UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (OP-CRPD) (2007)

UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) (1966) (1994)

UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (1966) (1994)

UN Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR-OP1) (1994)

UNHCR Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflict (2000) (2000)

UNHCR Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography (2000) (1990)

112 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and
Members of their Families, Articles (1990)

Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons (1960) x

Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (1975) x

UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Protocol relating to the Status of
Refugees (1951) (1995)

UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (CAT) (1984) (1994)

UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)
(1963) (1994)

UN Convention to Combat Desertification (1994) (1997)

Constitutive Act of the African Union (2000) (2000)

African Union Convention Governing Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (1969) x

African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (1981) (1992)

Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Establishment of the
African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (1998) (1998)

Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa
(2003) (2004)

African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in
Africa (Kampala Convention) (2009)

x (but signed
in 2009)

African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) (1990) (2004)

United Nations Convention against Corruption (2003)

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) (1994)

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1995)

Source: Compiled on the basis of United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ratification status by country or by
treaty: Namibia, available from http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/TreatyBodyExternal/Treaty.aspx?CountryID=59&Lang=en;
UNHCR, States Parties to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, available from www.
unhcr.org/3b73b0d63.pdf; African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, Legal instruments: Namibia ratifications,
available from www.achpr.org/states/namibia/ratifications/. See also http://unfccc.int/essential_background/convention/
status_of_ratification/items/2631.php

F.4. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AFRICAN
uNiON aND SaDc cONtExt

Certain regional contexts in relation to migration have already been dealt
with in this profile including reflections on DRM camp management and camp
coordination training. At the African Union level, core interventions in the areas
of human trafficking and remittances have been established including the
Africa Institute for Remittances referred to earlier. Also, in other areas, such as
health and DRM, collaborative instruments, institutions and strategies have been
developed, such as SADC Disaster Risk Reduction Strategic Plan and Platform.

113Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Most importantly, jointly with the regional economic communities (RECs)
and with three international organizations, namely the ILO, IOM and United
Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union developed
a programme that is intended to operationalize the AUMPF and strengthen the
effective governance and regulation of labour migration and mobility in Africa,
under the rule of law, at the RECs and national levels. Known as the AUC-ILO-IOM-
UNECA-RECs Labour Migration Governance for Developmen t and Integration
in Africa: A bold new initiative (also known as the AUC-ILO-IOM-UNECA-RECs
Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP) (AUC/ILO/IOM/UNECA/RECs, 2015a),
this initial four-year programme with a ten-year vision was adopted by the 24th
Summit of the African Union in January 2015. The programme will contribute
to obtaining the development potential of labour and skills mobility in Africa by
supporting effective governance of labour migration and protection of migrants
(African Union Commission, 2015b).

The programme guide notes that a regional consultation on 16 December
2013 in Addis Ababa identified priority challenges and set the direction for
Africa-wide cooperation on governance of labour migration. The consultation
agreed on seven main findings common across all RECs (African Union, 2014):

(a) Paucity of data on characteristics and conditions of labour migrants,

data required for economic, labour, enterprise development,
investment, education and social protection policies;

(b) Lack of implementation of free circulation regimes and generalized
absence of coherent national labour migration policy;

(d) Absence of social protection and social security for many migrants;
(e) Prevalence for migrants of substandard, abusive employment

relations and conditions of work;
(f) Absence of capacity, coordination and policy involvement on

migration by labour institutions; and
(g) Lack of dialogue and coordination on labour migration among labour

actors and institutions.

114 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The programme is organized in two major complementary parts:
Component 1 on Labour Migration Governance and Component 2 on Operational
Implementation of law and policy. Activity areas include the following:

Component 1: Strengthened governance and regulation of labour migration
and mobility in Africa

1.1 Increased ratification and domestication of international standards

1.2 Implementation of free circulation regimes in RECs and adoption of
national policy

1.3 Expanded engagement of labour institutions in labour migration
governance

1.4 Tripartite Policy Dialogue and coordination at national, REC and continental
level

Component 2: Operational implementation of law and policy

2.1 Decent work for migrants with effective application of labour standards

2.2 Extension of Social Security coverage to migrants

2.3 Resolution of skills shortages and increased recognition of qualifications

2.4 Obtaining relevant and comparable labour migration and labour market
data

From the SADC perspective, note should be taken of Namibias involvement
in both the SADC migration-related structures and the government-led MIDSA
process, supported by IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF and UNODC. Regarding SADC, the
development of a migration policy, labour migration policy and possibly also a
migration and development policy for Namibia would fit in with the adoption of
SADC of a labour migration policy framework and labour migration action plan.

F.5. iNStitutiONal FRamEWORK

A TWG on migration drawn from the Interministerial Coordinating
Committee was recently established and held its initial meeting in early 2015.
Chaired by the MHAI, the TWG is, among others, tasked with adopting and
implementing this Migration Profile with the assistance of other line ministries,
other Namibian stakeholders and involved UN institutions. The TWG met in June
2015 to consider the data assessment report prepared as a step feeding into

115Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

the development of the Migration Profile, and is entrusted with validating the
Profile. Its composition reflects the multisectoral nature of the development and
implementation of the Profile:

" MHAI
" MLIREC
" Ministry of Environment and Tourism
" NSA
" MOHSS
" Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development
" Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation
" Namibian Police Force
" OPM Director: Emergency Management Unit
" Office of the Prosecutor General
" Bank of Namibia
" UNHCR
" UNDP
" IOM

Nevertheless, when it comes to implementation of the profile, it is evident
that there are also other crucial roleplayers that need to be involved. Primary
among these is the National Planning Commission (NPC), situated within the
Office of the President. The NPC is charged with planning and spearheading the
course of national development. It has the responsibility of planning national
priorities and directing the course of national development; the NPC has been
coordinating the implementation of the NDPs as part of the implementation
process of Vision 2013.315

A separate multi-stakeholder TWG on health has been established, which
deals with health-related issues, among others, in connection with migrants.

The key Namibian institutions involved in broad area of migration include
the following:

" MHAI, which is responsible for managing the national population register
and facilitating lawful migration. The ministry is, among others, also
responsible for the issuing of work visas and work permits and plays
a leading role in the several migration-related areas such as border
management.

315 www.npc.gov.na/. The NPC Mandate is derived from Article 129 of the Constitution of Namibia and the
National Planning Commission Act 2013 (Act 2 of 2013).

116 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

" MLIREC: Two of its core divisions for migration purposes are Labour Market
Services (tasked with promoting employment creation and optimizing
the utilization of the entire labour force to achieve greater economic
growth) and Industrial Relations and Advice (tasked with coordinating
and strengthening International Relations and cooperation, as well as
coordinating and administering the Labour Advisory Council).

" Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, generally responsible
for promoting Namibias national interest in the international level in
order to advance sustainable and equitable socioeconomic development,
international cooperation, peace and security.

" Ministry of Finance Customs and Excise is responsible for collecting
duties at ports of entry and screening luggage for possible contraband
items.

" Ministry of Justice
" Ministry of Gender and Child Welfare, which has the mandate to ensure

gender equality and equitable socioeconomic development of women
and men and the well-being of children.

" MOHSS: The mandate of the MOHSS is derived from the Namibian
Constitution Article 95 where the State is required to maintain the welfare
of the people by putting in place legislation that seek to provide health
care of the people and also ensure social welfare for the people including
the weak and vulnerable members of the society.

" Ministry of Safety and Security
" Ministry of Environment and Tourism
" Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development
" Ministry of Urban and Rural Development
" Ministry of Education
" Bank of Namibia
" Financial Intelligence Centre
" NPC (Office of the President)
" DDRM (OPM)
" NSA
" National Training Authority
" National Council for Higher Education
" Electoral Commission of Namibia

117Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

PaRt G: KEy FiNDiNGS aND
REcOmmENDatiONS

G.1. MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT, INTERNAL
aND iNvOluNtaRy miGRatiON

G.1.1. Remittances316

As indicated earlier in this profile, a legal, policy, institutional and
operational basis for the transfer and use of remittances is lacking in Namibia.
National data concerning the receipt of remittances are conspicuous by their
absence, while limited and incomplete data on the use of remittances (mainly
for household purposes) are available.

And yet, as indicated in this profile, the evidence in favour of the positive
economic and social impact of remittance is overwhelming. Given the positive
experience in this regard from countries around the globe, for example, in
the Philippines, more could be done to enhance the use of remittances for
developmental purposes.317 A good practice is the initiative by the Ethiopian
Investment Commission, which provides investment incentives to the diaspora on
the same basis as for Ethiopians within the country. Matching programmes, such
as partial financing through government funds or on the basis of publicprivate
partnerships, could be promoted. Lessons could be drawn from the Mexican
4x1 programme, whereby the Government matches collective remittances sent
home by migrant workers abroad. Measures are therefore needed to address
these shortcomings and ensure that remittances are adequately integrated in
Namibias economic, social and migration frameworks.

However, generally speaking, the cost of remitting cash transfers within
Africa has historically been prohibitively high. Recent regional and national
initiatives could assist with achieving the objective of reducing remittance
transfer costs. A 2014 World Bank report noted that the establishment of two
regional payment systems, the COMESA Regional Payment and Settlement
System and the East African Cross Border System, is expected to facilitate cross-

316 See Part D.3.2. and Part E.3.1. above.
317 It has been reported that remittance spending in the Philippines is what keeps the big service industries

such as retail, education, real estate&growing despite the sluggish performance of domestic industry
and agriculture. The Philippines has become a service-led economy without going through an industrial
revolution (Ofreneo and Sale, 2014, p. 167).

118 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

border payments within these two RECs (World Bank, 2014). Steps to address high
remittance costs could include the following: (a) promoting competition among
financial institutions, such as money transfer operators; (b) capping charges on
the Namibian side; and (c) promoting cheaper avenues (such as those developed
in Uganda, including the Ugandan Postbank, which has reportedly developed
a dedicated diaspora account product that can be managed from anywhere in
the world) and mobile money transfers. The regional initiatives and regulations
reported earlier should assist significantly to lower transaction costs. Also, it
is recommended that remittance stakeholders in Namibia should liaise closely
with and make use of the variety of transfer knowledge services provided by
the African Unions African Institute for Remittances, headquartered in Nairobi,
Kenya.318

Key recommendation 1: Develop an appropriate regulatory and policy
framework (in particular, a diaspora policy), supported by a suitable institutional
framework and operational measures, to harness remittances for socioeconomic
development in Namibia and address high remittance transfer costs. Steps are
needed to include remittances as a separate component of analysis by the
Bank of Namibia, to enhance research into the use made of remittances, and
improve the data collection and sharing environment, with particular reference
to surveys/censuses undertaken by the NSA. It is therefore recommended that
a dedicated legislative provision and an appropriate operational framework be
developed to allow and operationalize the use of remittances for purposes of
social security contributions.

G.1.2. Diaspora319

No legal, policy, institutional and operational basis for engaging with and
involving Namibian diaspora in the development of the country exists despite
the apparently fairly sizeable numbers of Namibians who live outside the country.
No mapping of Namibian diaspora has yet been undertaken, even though it is
evident that organizations of the diaspora do exist. The evidence regarding the
value of the diaspora for the development and benefit of not only the country of
destination, but also the country of origin, is increasingly available. As indicated
before, the value lies, among others, in the transfer of knowledge and skills,
investments, and the transfer of remittances. As indicated, it is for this reason
that governments, including governments in Africa, have gone to great lengths
to establish legal, policy, institutional and operational frameworks to recognize,

318 See the African Institute for Remittances (AIR) Project webpage at http://pages.au.int/remittance/about
for more information.

319 See Part D.3.2. and Part E.3.2.

119Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

support, engage with and utilize diaspora for the development of the countries
concerned.

Key recommendation 2:
" Research on, and profile the diaspora through evidence-based and

analytical research and the inclusion of the enumeration of the diaspora
in national censuses and intercensal surveys. This would facilitate the
formulation of national policies on the movement of professionals within
and out of Namibia to enable Namibia to maximize the utilization of
migrant human resources.320 This would also establish the basis for return
migration and other programmes targeting the diaspora, and negotiations
with major destination countries/regions of such professionals on codes of
practice on the recruitment and treatment of professionals from Namibia.

" Create an appropriate, well-endowed and sufficiently capacitated
institutional, legal and policy framework for the engagement of the
diaspora in the development of Namibia. This should ideally be situated
with the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, as liaison
with the diaspora largely occurs via diplomatic missions.

" Support the creation of and liaise with Namibian diaspora associations
with whom the Government of Namibia and other stakeholders can
collaborate.

" Strengthen public information on the government website for the benefit
of the diaspora and provide a platform for Namibians abroad to participate
in governance issues.

" Create a conducive environment for the diaspora to contribute to the
eradication of poverty in Namibia and to (i) remit payments; (ii) invest;
(iii) be otherwise involved in the development of Namibia via short- to
medium-term engagement and skills/knowledge transfers and matching/
exchange programmes; and (iv) return.

" Incentivize the diaspora to transfer skills to Namibia through short-/
medium-term work assignments, mentoring and consultancies, as well
as through matching/exchange programmes and the arrangement of
fellowships for local professionals.

" Provide information to the diaspora on investment opportunities
in Namibia or in the destination country for the benefit of Namibia;
encourage the establishment of other development initiatives, such as
diaspora banks and cooperatives; and create avenues for investment, such
as partial financing for businesses and projects financed by the diaspora
community.

320 Mudungwe, 2012, pp. 6970.

120 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

" Publish public information on the government website for the benefit of
the diaspora and provide a platform for Namibians abroad to participate in
governance issues, such as voting during national elections.

" Use the goodwill of prominent Namibians in key positions abroad to
promote Namibia and its developmental needs.

G.1.3. Migration, health and well-being321

Migration and health is an area that requires critical intervention,
given the vulnerable context of migrants and migrant communities. Spaces of
vulnerability in this regard were indicated earlier in this profile for both internal
and external migrants. The WHO recently confirmed that despite progress made
over several years, there is an upsurge of malaria infection affecting border
communities. Also, Angolans who came to Namibia for tuberculosis treatment
need to be followed up once they return home.322 There is need to ensure the
availability of services, including social services, for migrants at key border areas.
Also, both the policy and institutional domains are in need of streamlining. This
implies prioritizing the adoption of a Health and Migration Strategy, and the
better synchronizing of services and operations. For example, health care for
adult migrants falls under the responsibility of the MOHSS, while health care
for migrant children is the responsibility of the Ministry of Gender Equality and
Child Welfare. Also, the recommendations made in the Report of the Presidential
Commission of Inquiry, mentioned above, aimed at improving the public health-
care domain in Namibia, need to be seriously considered, as they affect migrants
and non-migrants alike.

Key recommendation 3:
" Promote the health of internal migrants, as well as migrants to Namibia,

their partners and dependants through the adoption of a Migration and
Health Strategy, supported by a Migration Health Policy framework,
comprising context- and category-/group-sensitive health interventions,
including the rolling out of preventive, educative, treatment, care and
support services.

" Support the coordinated and prioritized improvement of service delivery
in Namibia and bordering countries through enhanced cross-border
collaboration.

" Roll-out to those affected or potentially affected (migrant workers, their
partners and dependants) preventive, educative, treatment, care and
support interventions, to be aligned with and building on an appropriate

321 See Part C.1.5. and Part E.5.2. above.
322 Interview with the WHO representative, Monir Islam on 11 August 2015.

121Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

policy and strategic framework, bearing in mind the need to provide for
differentiated approaches and responses.

" Target high-risk areas (that is, areas of vulnerability) with a view to
operationalizing preventive and educative interventions, such as border
post areas and sex workers, as well as informal cross-border traders.

" Provide indiscriminate access to health care and health information to
migrants from, to and within Namibia, who are infected or affected by
HIV and AIDS and communicable diseases, in accordance with the SADC
Protocol on Health and develop harmonized cross-border approaches to
manage same.

" Strengthen family reunification as a core value and operational intervention
in combating key health risks associated with the spread of HIV and AIDS
and communicable diseases.

" Consider undertaking an assessment of services available at the border
and across Namibia in order to understand how the migration flows impact
on service delivery and what improvements can be made to ensure quality
services.

G.1.4. Skills development and training323

Cognizance has been taken of the fact that there is an emerging framework
in Namibia in relation to skills training, involving, for example, the NTA and
Development Fund. Gaps, fragmentation and overlap in the present system are
naturally existent. For example, there is apparently no linkage between the NTA
and the public employment services that are being developed. Similarly, while
the SSC (via the Development Fund) is already facilitating training to unemployed
Namibians and delivering this through registered training providers, the MLIREC
reported that no training was being provided for by this division (barring limited
coaching on interview skills and business proposal writing).324 Job-seekers were,
at the time of interview with this division, not being referred to additional
training opportunities and an idea to retrain retrenched workers and those who
had been in the labour market for a long period of time was not achieved due to
limited finances.325

Mention was earlier made of the various initiatives to provide for job
creation. Here, mention could also be made of the role of vocational education
and training in this regard.326 The Vocational Education and Training Act, 2008

323 See Part E.4.1.
324 Meeting with SSC (16 February 2015).
325 Meeting with MLIREC: Employment Services Division (March 2015).
326 Act 1 of 2008 (the VET Act).

122 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(VET Act) 1 of 2008 establishes the NTA and the National Training Fund in order
to regulate the provision of vocational education and training in Namibia. It
provides for the funding of vocational education and training by way of the
imposition of the VET levy. The objects of the act include the following:327

(a) Achieving an effective and sustainable system of skills formation that
is aligned with the labour market;

(b) Providing the skills required for accelerated development;
(c) Developing the competencies needed by young people for productive

work; and
(d) Achieving increased standards of living and promoting access, equity

and quality in vocational education and training.

The NTA may develop occupational standards, curriculum standards
and qualifications in order to achieve its objectives, subject to policies and
procedures determined by the Namibia Qualifications Authority.328 Significantly,
it may, for the purpose of promoting vocational education and training, provide
financial and technical assistance to employers, vocational education and
training providers, employees, learners and other persons or bodies, as well as
fund vocational education and training programmes and projects.329

Several considerations reflect negatively on the development and
retention of skills in Namibia. Skills training is evidently underdeveloped in
Namibia; there is clearly a mismatch between available and needed skills; and
the reality of the labour market in Namibia and opportunities abroad make it
difficult to retain skills in professions and (geographical) areas where these are
required. It is therefore important to consider how migration could serve the
development and retention of skills in areas such as diaspora engagement and
the integration of skilled returned migrants as discussed above. In addition,
there is a need to create and utilize unique migration opportunities for excess
labour/skills and develop skills specifically with a view to exporting same for the
sake of development in Namibia. A suitably supportive framework for migrant
workers also needs to be developed. Development in Namibia will furthermore
be served by the retention and dedicated employment of core skills provided by
skilled immigrants.

327 S 3 of the VET Act.
328 S 5(3)(a) of the VET Act.
329 S 5(4) of the VET Act.

123Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Key recommendation 4:
(a) Enhance and use LMIS to document and monitor the extent and

impact of skills emigration, based on host/sending country censuses
and surveys. The data thus collected would be the basis upon which
national skills development, retention, replacement and attraction
strategies would be crafted, and could feed into regional initiatives.330

(b) Undertake a comprehensive skills audit (which goes beyond the
skills audit survey of MLIREC or the sector-based surveys undertaken
by the NTA) to determine available and required skills (supply and
demand) in Namibia, in order to develop a priority skills retention/
acquisition strategy.

(c) As part of the above skills audit, determine to what extent
Namibians and non-Namibians respectively are meeting the current
skills demands, how training and recruitment would be affected to
meet the needs of the Namibian labour market, and what would
be required to enable Namibians in the future to meet the skills
demands.

(d) Link training and (other) service providers with existing databases of
available/unemployed workers.

(e) Create and utilize unique opportunities for excess/surplus labour/
skills both within and outside Namibia. In addition, skills could be
specifically developed and exported on the basis of requests by or
arrangements made with governments of countries of destination.
Arrangements for the development and deployment of Namibian
migrant skills should be informed by appropriate bilateral agreements
(also including regional agreements) that provide the necessary
safeguards, also in relation to protection under the host countrys
labour, social security/protection and economic/trade laws. These
agreements need to be underpinned by a range of dedicated services
provided by Namibia when migrant workers exit Namibia, reside
and work in the host country, and return home. The agreements
should further contain and be supported by suitable remittance
arrangements.

(f) Improve the Namibian skills development and retention framework,
also through development partner support, by engaging the
Namibian diaspora and attracting and utilizing skilled immigrants to
help build the skills base, especially in areas of critical skills needs.
This should be undergirded by an appropriate policy and legal
framework, the strengthening of the institutional framework and
capacity, and programme development and offering.

330 Mudungwe, 2012, p. 69, referring to J. Crush, S. Peberdy and V. Williams (2006), International Migration
and Good Governance in the Southern African Region, SAMP Migration Policy Brief No. 17.

124 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

G.1.5. tourism331

Namibia attracts vast numbers of visitors every year, particularly tourists.
The significant impact this has had on economic performance and job creation is
evident. Namibia has indeed taken its place as a leading country in this regard.

Nevertheless, the Tourist Statistical Report 2012 and 2013 makes important
recommendations in terms of tourism infrastructure and tourism markets,
and the improvement of the supporting data framework.332 In relation to the
latter area, it remarks that there have been delays in producing and publishing
annual tourist arrival statistics reports over time. It recommends that, given the
importance of producing timely tourist arrivals statistics for policy formulation
and planning Namibias development, it is crucial that a quarterly bulletin and
annual report on tourist arrivals be published within three months after the end
of the reporting period. It then suggests that in order to maintain the timely
publication of tourist arrivals statistics, [a]ll stakeholders should work hand in
hand to ensure that:

" A sustainable institutional arrangement is in place to facilitate the entire
process of the compilation of and reporting on tourist arrivals, from the
collection of forms through to sampling, data entry, data cleaning and
report writing. Three institutions need to be most involved in this process,
namely the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Ministry of Home
Affairs and Immigration and the Namibia Statistics Agency.

" The data from different sources of tourism statistics should be triangulated
and summarized in a single annual document indicating key indicators to
easily inform decision-making. Some examples of potential sources are
the Namibia Tourist Exit Survey, Tourist Satellite Account, Hotel Statistics,
World Tourism Barometer, First National Bank Tourism Index, and Travel
and Tourism Competitiveness Index.

" The arrival/departure form should be revised to facilitate incorporation of
needed tourism variables in the computerised system of Ministry of Home
Affairs and Immigration. With time, data captured from this computerised
system will be used to produce needed tourist arrivals statistics and the
sampling approach will be abandoned. Verification of arrival/departure
forms during the sorting, sampling and data entry process revealed that
there are some questions included in the arrival/departure form which
are not filled in by travellers and one should assess whether these should
remain on the form and be better enforced or be removed from the form.

331 See Part D.1. and Part E.3.3.
332 Ministry of Environment and Tourism, 2014, pp. 2728.

125Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Examples of these are: (11) Number of accompanying children under the
age of 16; (17) Visitors to Namibia, kindly state the amount of money you
intend to spend during your visit (excluding fare to and from Namibia).

Difficulties are posed by the limited computerized framework to support
the incorporation of needed tourism variables. The report notes that, according
to the MHAI, (only) 16 of 32 border posts are computerized.333 As is evident from
other parts of this profile, the lack of computerized data in various migration
contexts serves as a serious constraint in the compilation, analysis of, access to
and availability of migration-related data.

Key recommendation 5:
(a) Utilize tourism data for the improvement of tourist services and

facilities with a view to enhancing economic and labour market
development in Namibia.

(b) Find means to deal appropriately with the fact that different time
frameworks impact on tourism.

(c) Establish a duly capacitated inter-agency institutional framework to
facilitate the entire process of the compilation of and reporting on
tourist arrivals, to capture data from various sources into a single
annual document, indicating key indicators to easily inform decision-
making, and to facilitate revision of the arrival/departure form with
a view to incorporate needed tourism variables in the computerized
system of MHAI.

(d) Support the availability of integrated tourism data and the full
computerization of arrival/departure information gathered through
all Namibian border posts a recommendation now also endorsed
by the 2014 Tourist Statistical Report.334

G.1.6. labour migration335

The lack of reliable migration data is clearly associated with the problems
experienced with appreciating the scope and nature of migration to and from
Namibia. Also, improved streamlining of the issuing of work permits and visas
appears to be called for. The specific contexts of (increased) skilled migration to
and from Namibia require dedicated responses.

333 Ibid., p. 27, note 2.
334 Ministry of Environment and Tourism, 2015, p. 24.
335 See Part C.2.3. and Part E.3.1.

126 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

It is important to understand the regional dimension of migration which
is, as indicated, a key characteristic of migration to and from Namibia. Also,
apart from the general push and pull factors influencing cross-border migration
streams, the need for regional (intra-SADC) migration to support regional
integration and the implementation of various SADC protocols and other
private sector investment arrangements is self-evident.336 This affects Namibia
as a migrant-sending and migrant-receiving country, and other SADC countries.
Bilateral arrangements to facilitate and streamline the cross-border flow of
migrants between Namibia and other countries, in particular SADC countries,
are therefore important. As indicated by Mudungwe, to a certain extent, the
rationalization of human resources in the region is already taking place, albeit at
a slow pace. He cites the example of the 2004 bilateral agreement between the
governments of South Africa and Zimbabwe (The Memorandum of Understanding
between the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Government of
the Republic of South Africa on Cooperation in the Fields of Employment and
Labour), which seeks to facilitate the safe migration of Zimbabweans to work
on commercial farms in the Limpopo Province of South Africa and regularize
the conditions of employment of the migrant workers.337 Simultaneously, in as
much international data sources indicate that migration outflows seemingly
exceed migration to the country, Namibia should also be promoted as a country
of destination for migrant workers.

Box 19: Sourcing/exploring dedicated work opportunities for surplus labour in other countries

Exploring unique opportunities for skilled Namibian migrants may be called for. Despite the emphasis on
creating job opportunities in Namibia, it might well be that given the high unemployment rate, many skilled
Namibians would still not be able to find work in Namibia. Reference should be made to the fact that
some countries faced with similar problems have gone the route of sourcing/exploring dedicated work
opportunities for their surplus labour in other countries. This is given effect through appropriate bilateral
arrangements with the host country concerned. It could also be effective via a regional agreement by
participating countries. It is recommended that this option be actively explored in the case of Namibia,
as this will create employment for surplus labour and ensure remittances as a contribution to household
survival and economic development. Of course, in addition to a dedicated institutional framework, this
will also require the strengthening of skills development in Namibia, especially if the bilateral/regional
arrangement implies that persons with specific skills are required as migrant workers.

Mauritius provides a good example in the SADC context of a country that
has embarked on this route, on the basis of circular migration programmes.
As part of its reform programme and human resource development strategy,
Mauritius has been active in promoting circular migration. Since 2006, Mauritius
has embarked on Circular Migration Programmes and some 300 workers have

336 Mudungwe, 2012, p. 67.
337 Ibid.

127Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

taken employment in Canada. In April 2010, a bilateral agreement with France
was ratified.

Finally, given the reality of circular migration within the SADC region, there
is a need to appropriately provide for the portability of social security benefits,
such as pension and workers compensation payments, and the reintegration
of migrants who return to Namibia. There may in fact be a need to establish a
centralized institution that could provide support to Namibian migrants at pre-
departure, destination and upon return. This may serve several purposes and will,
among others, strengthen the link with the Namibia diaspora and provide services
and support to the extent necessary. Extensive precedent exists worldwide.
Some migrant-sending countries in Asia and elsewhere in the developing world
have taken stock of the vulnerable social and economic position of their citizens
living and working in other countries. As a result, they have sought to extend
some form of protection, particularly in terms of social security, to their citizens
employed as migrant workers and also created a supportive framework for the
employment of these workers in destination countries. These migrant-sending
countries (that is, home countries/countries of origin) seek to protect the rights
and interests of migrant workers abroad through specific interventions. The
interventions are guided either by the countries constitutions, or a statutory
framework providing for such protection. The extension of protection of migrant
workers abroad via unilateral arrangements has, among others, been achieved
through the following:338

(a) The adoption of constitutional guarantees and statutory frameworks
facilitating the protection of migrant workers abroad such as the
1987 Constitution of the Philippines and the Migrant Workers and
Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995; see also the wide-ranging provisions
of the Constitution of Ecuador;

(b) Provisions in bilateral agreements providing for continued coverage
of certain categories of migrant workers in the social security
system of the labour-exporting country such as the IndiaBelgium
agreement of 2006;

(c) Establishment of Special Overseas Workers Welfare Funds by
national and even (in the case of India) State governments, extending
protection to workers and at times also their families such as India,
Philippines and Sri Lanka;

338 Ibid.; A. Hall, Migrant Workers' Rights to Social Protection in ASEAN: Case Studies of Indonesia, Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand (Migrant Forum in Asia/Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Office for Regional Cooperation in
Asia, 2011).

128 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(d) Voluntary affiliation in national social insurance schemes such as
Albania, Jordan, Mexico, Mozambique, Philippines and South Korea;

(e) Measures and schemes aimed at supporting the flow of remittances
and social insurance contributions to the sending country; and

(f) Exportability of social security benefits and provision of related
services (such as medical care) abroad.

These extension mechanisms are often supported by a range of
complementary measures introduced and supporting institutions set up by
governments of sending countries, such as the following:

(a) Establishment of a dedicated migration ministry and/or specialized
statutory bodies to protect the interests of their citizens/residents
in the diaspora (such as Bangladesh, Ecuador, India and Philippines);

(b) Information on recruitment contracts and consular support;
(c) Generally providing support services to migrant workers at three

stages: pre-departure, at destination (that is, in the host country)
and upon return (such as via return settlement programmes); and

(d) Lobbying for the protection of migrant workers.

The unilateral measures are of relatively recent origin, but seem to be
growing in extent and popularity. They cover sizeable numbers of migrant
workers 8 million migrants in the case of the Philippines, and 2 million migrants
in the case of Sri Lanka. International standards instruments do not regulate
this particular phenomenon; yet, it is of interest to note that reference to this is
increasingly being made in what can be regarded as soft law and explanatory/
implementing instruments for example, in the 2008 UN General Comment No.
19 on the right to social security (in relation to the UN International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) and the 2007 ASEAN Declaration on
Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

Such an institutional framework could help alleviate the range of problems
potentially experienced by Namibian migrants abroad, and when they return
home; in addition, suitable reintegration programmes could be developed.

129Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Key recommendation 6:
(a) Develop a labour migration policy that deals with all aspects of

migrant workers to, in and from Namibia.
(b) Support migrant workers from Namibia through dedicated pre-

departure and return interventions, and support services while they
work and reside in destination countries.

(c) Align and streamline the migration policy, legal and institutional
framework through compliance/alignment with international
and regional standards, removal of discriminatory provisions and
practices, and negotiation of labour agreements with destination
countries, so as to facilitate cross-border movement, the collection
and sharing of data, protection and equal treatment with citizens of
the host countries, and access to benefits.

(d) Utilize the envisaged standardized template for in- and outmigration
through the LMIS to obtain reliable data (see the discussion in this
regard at the end of this profile).

(e) Create a conducive environment to attract skilled migrants to Namibia
on a short-term basis and for this purpose, develop a streamlined
visa/work permit system with appropriate system interfacing and
institutional collaboration.

(f) Harness skilled migration for development in Namibia by incorporating
in visa/work permit stipulations/conditions that require immigrant
professionals to provide training and imparting of skills, so as to
improve the skills base and employability of Namibian workers.

(g) Introduce suitable measures to manage surplus human capacity.
These measures go beyond job creation, and could include identifying
and/or creating, per bilateral arrangements with governments and
institutions in migrant-seeking countries, suitable cross-border
employment opportunities, as well as possibly creating one or more
cross-border industrial, cooperative and market zones as a measure
to provide employment opportunities for Namibian workers and
enhance cross-border economic activity.

(h) Align the Namibia migration legal, policy and implementation
framework with international and regional obligations and standards
even if other countries do not reciprocate or have not yet adopted
these obligations and standards. Enter into bilateral agreements,
which are mindful of local employment needs and the implications
of migration from and to Namibia for Namibias development, with
other countries.

(i) Coordinate migration law, policy and practice in Namibia with the
(SADC) regional integration agenda and support common approaches
towards the treatment of intra-SADC migrants, appearing among
others from the SADC Labour Migration Action Plan, the SADC

130 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Labour Migration Policy Framework, and the provisions of the SADC
Protocol on Employment and Labour. Address migration challenges
in the SADC region affecting Namibia migrants through consultation
and negotiations and by identifying regional solutions and bilateral
and multilateral agreements.

(j) Prepare labour in Namibia for migration through a range of
interventions:

(i) Provide information on bilateral labour arrangements/
agreements with destination countries;

(ii) Provide appropriate documentation (such as passports and
police clearance) to would-be migrant workers;

(iii) Educate would-be migrants on matters such as the following:
‹ The cultural/social context and living, labour market, work,

social security and economic environment, as well as the
education system of destination countries;

‹ Formal channels to remit money back home; and
‹ Services provided by the home country (that is, Namibia);

(iv) Provide would-be Namibia migrant workers with information
on/advice about skills needed and employment opportunities,
as well as relevant laws of destination countries;

(v) Provide them with legal protection against exploitation, fraud,
trafficking, human smuggling and other malpractices; and

(vi) In the interests of safeguarding the rights of migrant workers
abroad, consider posting labour attachés to Namibian
diplomatic missions to promote and safeguard the rights and
welfare of Namibian migrants.

(k) Support returning migrants and provide reintegration services
through the following:

(i) Coordinate with host country governments and foreign
employers about the profiles of returning migrants;

(ii) Disseminate information about the reintegration services
available in Namibia;

(iii) Provide skills training for returning migrants;
(iv) Monitor and evaluate the reintegration of returning migrants;

and
(v) Assist returning migrants with claiming and accessing social

security benefits.

(l) Investigate whether the legal and institutional framework for
the regulation of private employment agencies is sufficient to
appropriately capture the recruitment of Namibians for work abroad.

131Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

G.1.7. Internal migration339

The prevalence, extent and impact of internal migration, particularly in
the sense of ruralurban migration, have been highlighted in this profile. There
have been several governmental responses to this phenomenon, also as regard
extended service delivery. Health-related recommendations were made above.

Key recommendation 7:
" Ensure the inclusion of internal migration issues in a migration policy to

be developed, in order to support a strategic framework of intersectoral
interventions to manage ruralurban migration and its effects on
individuals and households, and on social cohesion and economic and
spatial development, including decentralization and poverty reduction.
This strategic framework should, among others, provide for employment
creation in rural areas and integration of those who do not return to rural
areas in urban planning.

" The framework should also provide for the following:340
‹ Strengthen efforts to address causes of internal migration

including poverty, environmental degradation, natural disasters,
and conflict, especially as they relate to the process of
urbanization.

‹ Take steps to ensure that persons migrating internally have
adequate access to basic services, housing, land, property and
employment especially in urban centers with rapidly growing
populations of migrants from rural areas.

‹ Strengthen data gathering and research on factors, trends and
characteristics of internal migration and geographical distribution
of population and formulate more effective policies relating to
population distribution and migration.

G.1.8. Disaster risk management and climate change
adaptation341

In view of close collaboration between the Government of Namibia,
IOM and other stakeholders, swift action has been taken in recent years to
intervene and assist in the wake of disasters and internal displacement of
populations. Systems and processes have been introduced, widespread training
took place, and the success of the DRM and CCCM programme caused it to be

339 See Part D.5.1.
340 African Union, 2006a, pp. 2829 (par. 4).
341 See Part D.5.1.5.2. and Part E.6.

132 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

extended to certain other countries in the SADC region. According to IOM, the
latest information for Namibia and feedback from the DDRM, currently under
consideration, reveal the following:342

(a) After all the trainings, manuals, training of trainers trained, Namibia
has improved its sectoral collaboration;

(b) IOM has brought together and amalgamated its CCCM and DRM
materials;

(c) The Government has helped develop the legal framework and
community involvement in short-term displacement has improved;
and

(d) Structures that were already in place have been revived and the
linkage between the national, regional and constituent coordination
levels have been strengthened.

The IOM is currently preparing an exit strategy from its CCCM/DRM
capacity-building programme, and handover to the Government of Namibia.
According to the IOM, the following strategic plan priorities, currently under
consideration, have been indicated:

Box 20: DDRM/CCCM Strategic Plan priorities343

System: Support the facilitation of awareness and dissemination of legal frameworks to
all sectors at national, regional and local levels and support the development and
review of the national and district levels contingency planning.

Organization: Review the DRM structures at national, regional and constituency level.
Advocate for budgetary provision from national level to regional.

Support the Government to review contingency plans.

Introduce monitoring and evaluation, particularly qualitative assessments of the
impact of the programme.

Individuals: Conduct CCCM/DRM training for policymakers and conduct training of different
stakeholders on Emergency Operations Centre

Roll-out trainings to local communities.

Conduct CCCM/DRM refresher training.

Conduct regional roll-out for CCCM/DRM training.

Mainstream protection and gender-based violence in CCCM.

Government handover: Conduct an achievements workshop.
Handover activities report.

Source: IOM, 2015e.

342 IOM, 2015e, pp. 56.
343 Ibid., p. 12.

133Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

It is foreseen that an assessment will be undertaken involving trainers
on the one hand, and on the other hand, those who have been trained and
who institutionally benefit from the training (such as the regional and local
government structures) to have a sense of the impact of the training, the
challenges involved and the benefits derived. This will help to inform further
policymaking and strategic planning in this important area for Namibia. Such a
survey should build on but also go beyond the consultations that were held in
the past with trainers, and which rendered valuable results regarding challenges
and opportunities.344 The survey should ideally involve the DDRM-OPM, IOM
and the Namibian Red Cross Society, who are key role-players in this area, as
well as key stakeholders involved in this programme.

Also, according to the National Gender Plan of Action 20102010, there
is a need to ensure gender mainstreaming in disaster management, as well as
develop an engendered Emergency and Management Unit (to enhance gender
awareness in disaster management).345

Finally, there is a need to recognize the link between migration and climate
change. The United National Framework Convention on Climate Change is a
legally binding international agreement linking development and environment,
recognizing that land degradation is a driver of forced migration. With 195
parties, it is the worlds most ratified environmental treaty. Namibia does not
have a commitment under this convention, but has made several efforts to
develop strategies, recognizing that climate change is a threat to the economic
development and well-being of Namibians.

Key recommendation 8:
" Continue with the transition of the CCCM/DRM capacity-building

programme targeting affected areas to the Government of Namibia, based
on the Strategic Plan priorities and the exit strategy road map.

" Undertake impact assessment with both the trainers and the beneficiary
communities/individual beneficiaries for all capacity-building programmes
in Namibia.

" Appreciate the multi-source nature of internal displacement within and
across borders and in particular, that internal migration could arise not
only from disasters, but also from environmental changes and take all
needed measures to address displacement caused by climate change.

344 IOM, 2015d.
345 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, National Gender Plan of Action 20102020 (2010), pp. 72,

74.

134 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

" Place an appropriate focus on protection and prevention in line with the
OPM/DDRM approach in this regard.

" Consider undertaking an assessment on the impact of climate change on
human mobility to define appropriate evidence-based and appropriate
measures and policies by taking into account the specific context of
environmental migration.

" Consider the ratification of the African Union Kampala Convention
Namibia signed this instrument on 23 October 2009, but has yet to officially
adopt this. This convention effectively endorses a human rights approach
to dealing with situations of and people exposed to internal displacement.

G.1.9. Refugees346

As indicated in this profile, significant achievements have been reached
as far as refugees and asylum-seekers are concerned. Their numbers have
been substantially reduced, as durable solutions have in agreement with the
Government of Namibia been found. It is for this reason that the UNHCR has
decided to exit Namibia.

Key recommendation 9:
" Ensure the maintenance of a CCCM structure for Osire camp under the

lead of the Government of Namibia, the implementation of the UNHCR
exit strategy and bring on board suitable implementing partners to support
the Government of Namibia.347

" Consider the development of medium- to longer-term solutions such as
voluntary return (where appropriate) and bilateral agreements for the
return of refugees to countries where a situation conducive to refugee
departure from Namibia exists.

" Consider better utilization of significant skills sets of refugees in coordinated
fashion, with a plan and strategy.

G.1.10. Human trafficking348

While some progress has been made to deal with human trafficking in
its many contexts in Namibia, substantial work remains. Despite the current
legislative and policy shortcomings, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child
Welfare has implemented a range of human trafficking programmes focusing
on prevention (awareness raising), progress with work on comprehensive

346 See Part D.2.8.
347 L. Mbangson, UNHCR Exit Strategy 2014/2015 (29 April 2014).
348 See Part D.4.1.

135Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

legislation, and training of front-line professionals and officials. In response to
the recommendations made by external institutions, the Namibian Gender Policy
mentions that while information has been scarce on human trafficking, emerging
research and documentation in the region indicate that this is a growing problem
exacerbated by high poverty levels, gender inequality, unemployment and limited
opportunity for the poor. Therefore, to address this problem, it is important to
put in place a comprehensive and multisectoral approach addressing prevention,
advocacy and awareness-raising, rehabilitation, integration and repatriation, as
well as instituting comprehensive legislation that criminalizes human trafficking
for ease of prosecuting offenders.349

The National Human Rights Action Plan 20152019 indicates important
interventions to be introduced in the domain of human trafficking:350

(a) Review of the curriculum for police training to include how to deal
with anti-human trafficking (the Ministry of Justice being the lead
ministry);

(b) Allocation of the resources necessary for the implementation of
the Zero Tolerance Campaign against Gender Based Violence and
human trafficking (the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare
being the lead ministry); and

(c) Finalization of the Trafficking in Persons Bill (the Ministry of Gender
Equality and Child Welfare being the lead ministry and the Ministry
of Justice the supporting ministry).351

Additionally, the review and implementation of a comprehensive witness
support programme is indicated as the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice as
the lead ministry, with support to be given by the Prosecutor General.352

349 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, National Gender Policy (20102020) (2010), p. 29. The
policy lists strategies for addressing human trafficking, including the following: (a) development of a
comprehensive law that regulates different aspects of human trafficking in Namibia and review of existing
legal frameworks with a view to their harmonization with this overarching law; (b) development of a child-
friendly, gender-sensitive and service delivery-oriented national policy to guide a multisectoral approach
to the prevention of human trafficking; and (c) a comprehensive referral network, assistance to victims,
preventive activities, training activities and capacity-building activities (ibid., p. 31).

350 Republic of Namibia, 2015, pp. 3334.
351 See also Republic of Namibia, 2014, p. 44. Namibia ratified the mainline UN Convention and the accompanying

Protocol (that is, the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and the Additional Protocol to
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Humans, Especially Women and Children), the Prevention of
Organised Crime Act 29 of 2004 (which entered into force in 2009), does not address human trafficking and
the smuggling of person comprehensively in line with the Convention and Protocol (ibid., p. 43).

352 Republic of Namibia, 2015, p. 33.

136 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Key recommendation 10:
" Implement the intervention made in the Namibian Gender Policy

and develop a comprehensive and multisectoral approach addressing
prevention, advocacy and awareness-raising, rehabilitation, integration
and repatriation.

" Give serious consideration to important interventions suggested by the
National Human Rights Action Plan 20152019:353

‹ Review of the curriculum for police training to include how to
deal with anti-human trafficking (the Ministry of Justice being
the lead ministry);

‹ Allocation of the resources necessary for the implementation of
the Zero Tolerance Campaign against Gender Based Violence,
and human trafficking (the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child
Welfare being the lead ministry); and

‹ Finalization of the Trafficking in Persons Bill (the Ministry of
Gender Equality and Child Welfare being the lead ministry and
the Ministry of Justice the supporting ministry) that criminalizes
human trafficking for ease of prosecuting offenders.354

" Consider and give effect to the following recommendations made in the
2015 Trafficking in Persons report:355

‹ Finalize and enact comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation;
increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses,
and convict and punish trafficking offenders under existing law;
develop and implement systematic procedures for the proactive
identification of victims and their subsequent referral to care;
train officials on relevant legislation and identification and referral
procedures; train judicial officials to promote consistent use of
a broad definition of human trafficking that does not rely on
evidence of movement, but focuses on exploitation, consistent
with the 2000 UN TIP Protocol; allocate resources and develop
a plan to fully operationalize renovated safe houses; appoint a
formal government lead for anti-trafficking efforts; proactively
investigate and criminally prosecute employers accused of
forced labor violations in Chinese retail, construction, and

353 Republic of Namibia, 2015, pp. 3334.
354 See also Republic of Namibia, 2014, p. 44. Namibia ratified the mainline UN Convention and the accompanying

355 Ibid., p. 256.

137Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

fishing operations; strengthen coordination among government
ministries, at both the minister and the working level; and
institute a unified system for collecting trafficking case data for
use by all stakeholders.

" In order to address concerns about human trafficking in and involving
Namibia, consideration should be given to strengthen the data
environment. This includes obtaining data via surveys and otherwise, in
particular qualitative research which should, in the first place, take note
of and be aligned with the identified macro factors leading to trafficking
(and for that matter also smuggling), including the following:356

‹ Patriarchy;
‹ Poverty;
‹ HIV/AIDS;
‹ Organized crime networks that, according to respondents, link

drug trafficking to that of humans;
‹ Norms that support the use of violence against women, children

and the marginalized;
‹ Cultural practices that are harmful or disempowering to women

and children;
‹ Sex tourism, described as occurring when an individual travels

from one jurisdiction to another (either domestically or
internationally) to engage in sexual abuse or exploitation of
adults or children at the destination site;

‹ Infrastructure issues such as the following: (a) lack of public
transport resulting in trucks being the main form of transport;
(b) control and security at borders and ports; (c) lack of
technology, including computers, screening equipment for cargo
and phones; and (d) a shortage of trained personnel to deal with
trafficking cases; and

‹ Regional issues, such as Zimbabwes deteriorating political
situation and socioeconomic differences between specific
countries in the SADC region.

From an overall perspective, all of the above contexts have important
data implications. It is important to note that the National Plan of Action on
Gender-Based Violence 20122016 provides, under the strategy to implement
special measures to combat trafficking in persons, for the development and
maintenance of a database on trafficking, as well as the establishment of a

356 See Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water
and Forestry), 2009, p. 66.

138 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

comprehensive directory of services that can be utilized to assist trafficking
victims. It also emphasizes the importance of supporting SADC interventions to
combat trafficking, and the strengthening of links with international role players
such as Interpol and the IOM.357

G.2. miGRatiON maNaGEmENt

G.2.1. border management358

The problem of irregular migration across the borders of Namibia is
exacerbated by the fact that the borders between Namibia and its neighbours are
porous. Due to, among others, only a partly automated border system, there is
weak management of migration across Namibian borders. An automated system
may not, as such, be able to prevent persons from crossing over irregularly;
however, it could ensure that there is proper recording of lawful crossings, which
could be shared with authorities of neighbouring countries. In addition, it would
free up personnel who could assist with border control/protection. In short,
there is a need for a dedicated and cross-border management system involving
officials from both neighbouring countries and Namibia, especially in view of
increased movement across the northern borders in particular evidenced by
the fact that the 20152018 Medium-term Expenditure Framework provided for
the construction of three new border posts.359

There is evidently a need to enhance the capacity of the Government of
Namibia to strengthen national and promote regional responses to migration
management in the Southern African region.360 This is also the subject of an
IOM-proposed project, aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Government
of Namibia to address border management and border control matters as
they relate to Namibia and her neighbours focusing on addressing the negative
effects that poor migration governance can have and to increase coordination
between the Government of Namibia and its neighbouring States with a focus
on IBM, identification, protection inclusive of assistance to vulnerable migrants
and VOTs.361

357 See Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, 2012a, pp. 5051.
358 See Part D.2.2. and Part D.4.
359 National Planning Commission Development Programmes: Estimates of Expenditure Medium-Term

Expenditure Framework 2015/2016 to 2017/2018 (2015), pp. 2324, 37.
360 IOM, 2015a.
361 Ibid., p. 2.

139Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Key recommendation 11:
" Increase the capacity of several stakeholders in Namibia involved in border

management, including different line ministries, and install the Border
Management Information System, supported by dedicated training.

" Strengthen the capacity of line ministries and other actors to adopt
integrated and coordinated approaches of border management through
multifaceted training and capacity-building.

" Consider the conclusion of bilateral agreements to ensure that the
return of irregular migrants happens in dignified fashion, supported by
appropriate reintegration measures. For this purpose, it is recommended
that MHAI should include a framework and activities for voluntary return
in the 2016 MHAI budget.

" Finalize visa harmonization, in view of the need to revise visa procedures
in Namibia.

" Strengthen the data environment applicable to border management and
share such data on a cross-border basis with agencies of the neighbouring
countries, to ensure coordinated responses and actions.

" Give effect and implement recommendations made in previous studies
to streamline and enhance border management, with specific reference
to:362

‹ Replacing the border passes currently in use at the Namibia
Angola border with the Border Resident Card system;

‹ Digitalize systems at those border posts where use is still made
of manual capturing of data;

‹ Address outdated provisions in citizenship legislation and develop
overarching policy goals and priorities for border management;

‹ Revise the current work and residential permit law and policy
framework to ensure that it responds to economic and political
needs;

‹ Address gaps that exist in border security;
‹ Consider more streamlined decision-making concerning permit

applications, in view of criticism expressed at the current
process; and

‹ Make relevant border data in principle accessible to relevant
stakeholders and researchers.

" Jointly address the issue of statelessness and undocumented migrants in
coordination with the Ministry of Poverty and Social Welfare.

" Address poverty challenges and the development of skills on both sides
of the border to ensure a positive impact on cross-border movements of
populations.

362 See, among others, IOM, Namibia Border Control and Migration Management Assessment (IOM, Geneva,
2008).

140 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

G.2.2. Migration policy, legal and institutional framework363

The case for policy development focused on harnessing migration for
development is well-grounded in international and regional instruments and
comparative experience. The legal framework comprises both international
and regional instruments and standards, as well as the domestic legal context.
The range of international and regional standards (and supporting guidelines)
raises critical questions concerning ratification and compliance (by Namibia),
as well as alignment with these standards and guidelines in the policy and
legislative domain. Bearing in mind the comments received from, in particular,
UN supervisory bodies, it is clear that the existing policy and legal framework is
not sufficiently aligned with these standards and guidelines, and this prompts
the need to review and revise the main legal and policy instruments.

In the institutional sphere, it is necessary to designate a governmental
institution, which should drive the implementation of key components of
migration management, as well as strengthened and expanded consultative
structures. This could be in the form of a sufficiently capacitated Migration
Department within the lead ministry, that is, the MHAI. This could serve as the
key government coordinating body in the area of migration.

Key recommendation 12:
" Develop concrete policies to give effect to core elements of the Migration

Profile, with specific reference to a Migration Policy for Namibia, a Labour
Migration Policy, and possibly a Migration and Development Policy.

" Consider establishing a dedicated, well-endowed and capacitated
governmental body to deal with migration and migration management,
in view of the importance of migration in Namibias socioeconomic
landscape. This body could be a multisectoral body and could function
under the lead of the MHAI.

" Consider the ratification and implementation of major migration standard-
setting instruments of the ILO and the UN, as well as other relevant
standard-setting instruments to guide migration policy and practice in
Namibia.

" Align the migration policy, legal and implementation, as well as institutional
framework in Namibia with both ratified international (that is, UN and
ILO), African Union and SADC instruments and with key non-ratified and
non-binding migration instruments of considerable value, such as the ILO
Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration (2006); the African Union

363 See Part F.1. and F.2.

141Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Migration Policy Framework (2006); the African Common Position on
Migration and Development (endorsed by the African Union Executive
Council (2006); the Joint Africa-European Union Declaration on Migration
and Development (2006); relevant SADC Protocols, including the Protocol
on the Facilitation on Movement of Persons (2005) and the Protocol on
Gender and Development (2008); the SADC Charter of Fundamental Social
Rights (2003); the SADC Protocol on Employment and Labour (2014); and
the Code on Social Security in SADC (2007). Consideration should also be
given to comments received by Namibia emanating from international
and regional treaty supervisory organs, with a view to reforming the
current legal, policy and institutional frameworks impacting on migration
and development.

" Build capacity of government institutions and officials involved in
migration (and development) policy development, implementation and
enforcement, as well as other migration and development stakeholders,
including the private sector, social partners, civil society (in particular
migration associations and non-governmental organizations), research
institutions and the judiciary. This should ideally focus on understanding
and implementing the migration and development policy framework and
creating sensitivity to the international and regional standards context, as
well as the domestic legal and institutional environment.

" Expand the composition of the Migration TWG under the lead of the MHAI
to include other relevant migration stakeholders, such as the NPC, and
strengthen its role as the primary consultative multi-stakeholder body
for deliberating and advising on migration, and coordinating engagement
of all relevant stakeholders. The TWG should be formally constituted in
enabling legislation and legal effect be given to its role and obligations.

" Mainstream the components of the Migration Profile in national and
sectoral policies, strategies and plans of action.

G.3. miGRatiON Data364

G.3.1. Data shortcomings

Overall, the picture regarding migration data in Namibia is one that
emphasizes the need for intervention to extend and improve the spread and
scope, as well as the collection, analysis, application, sharing and mainstreaming
of migration data. All of this, one would believe, has to be informed by the

364 See Part B.1. and B.2.

142 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

identification and development of policy objectives to be achieved and purposes
to be served by Namibian migration data, the translation of these into migration
variables/indicators and the incorporation thereof in census and data survey
frameworks.

However, it would appear that the very policy and planning framework
in relation to migration is underdeveloped in Namibia. To a large extent, this is
reflected in the limited expression and understanding of data needs and the use
of data concerning migration on the part of stakeholders, including policy and
development planners. This applies particularly to international migration, and
less so to internal migration. It is believed that this is mainly the result of the
absence of an appropriate migration policy framework in Namibia, with specific
reference to in-, out- and transit-migration.

Problems with current national data sets include the following:

(a) NHIES: As noted above, these surveys have been carried out every
five years since 1994. It is important to note that the questionnaire
for the next survey, the 2015/2016 NHIES, effectively scheduled
(this time) as an intercensal survey, has been designed to obtain
data on a range of internal, in-migration and outmigration related
indicators. These indicators evidently assist with gaining an income-
and expenditure-related picture of household members who could
be internal migrants or foreign migrants living and/or working
in Namibia. However, more pertinent questions could be asked
in relation to the immigrant and occupational status of foreign
migrants, as well as the occupational status of internal migrants, also
in view of the inadequate provision made in the LFS in relation to
foreign migrants. Furthermore, as indicated, the current format of
the census questions leaves little room to explore details of emigrant
status, to the extent that household members in Namibia may be
privy to such information. Finally, while some questions are asked
regarding the receipt of remittances, one or more further questions
could be posed to obtain a picture of how/for what purpose(s) use is
being made of remittances.

(b) DHS: It should be noted that none of the indicators investigated in
the DHS, nor any of the questionnaire questions, refer to migrant
or nationality status. Based on the data obtained via the DHS, it is
therefore not possible to obtain a picture of the extent to which the
data may apply to short- and long-term migrants, or to internal or
external migrants.

143Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(c) LFS: Labour migration variables have not been included, except for
the incorporation of citizenship as a variable in the chapter providing
information on demographic characteristics of the population.365
The NSA acknowledges that there is a need, on the basis of a SADC
requirement to this effect, to include appropriate labour migration
variables in the next LFS. Apparently, the ILO is assisting the NSA in
this regard.366

G.3.2. Regional context

Certain regional contexts in relation to migration have already been dealt
with in this report including reflections on DRM/CCCM training. It needs to
be emphasized that the AUC-ILO-IOM-UNECA-RECS Joint Labour Migration
Programme (JLMP) initiative stresses the importance of appropriate (labour)
migration data. As mentioned earlier, a draft Labour Migration Questionnaire
has been developed, to be used for collecting data for the labour migration
database in Africa, and inform the concrete steps to be taken under the JLMP.
Certain labour migration indicators are included in the questionnaire.

The background for the emphasis on labour migration data has been
described in the JLMP project document in the following terms:367

Efforts across Africa to develop evidence-based labour migration and
free movement policies are hampered by the absence of reliable and
comparable data describing labour migration and outcomes to shape
effective policy and to reinforce labour institution roles. Relevant data is
usually collected by several different institutions within countries, but data
obtained is not often reliable or comparable within and among countries,
nor is it adequately shared inside countries, let alone among countries.
Even when relevant data is obtained, it is not effectively applied in policy
formulation, implementation and evaluation. Evidently, many countries
lack the capacity, technical competences and equipment for collection of
relevant, reliable and comparable data.

The implementation of standardized approaches to collect, process and
utilize labour migration-relevant data is therefore a priority of this project.
In that regard, the project will support the respective REC Commissions to
promote harmonized methodologies for labour migration data, including

365 See NSA, The Namibia Labour Force Survey Report 2013 (2014), p. 39.
366 Information shared with the consultant by the NSA.
367 AUC/ILO/IOM/UNECA/RECs, Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration in Africa: A

bold new initiative (JLMP) (2015), p. 41.

144 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

supporting the appropriation and use by member states of international
standards, methodologies and compatible operating procedures for
migration data collection and analysis. On the basis of improving national
data sets the project also foresees the compilation of regional data sets
providing overviews of labour migration and employment data and trends
in the respective REC sub-regions. Use of several forms of data sets is
anticipated to strengthen data collection on labour migration. These
include: field studies using multi-site areas, special studies, administration
record systems, national census Population Surveys, and longitudinal
surveys.

The JLMP stresses the enhancement of collecting gender and age
disaggregated data on migrants economic activity, employment, skills, education,
working conditions and social protection situations as one of its policy goals.368

The following expected results are foreseen:369

(a) Strengthened capacities on migration data collection and analysis of
relevant national institutions and RECs;

(b) Increased utilization of international statistical standards and labour
migration indicators, extended use of common indicators, and
expanded exchange of data in and among RECs; and

(c) Data sharing and coordination among national institutions and
RECs; data interfaced among labour market and labour migration
databases, with topical research studies on specific aspects of
and interaction among labour migration, free circulation, regional
integration, and development.

It further reflects on the implementation of labour migration standards
and policy in the area of labour migration data by indicating the following steps:370

(a) Undertake baseline assessment of existing data collection activities
and content, actors, extent of interfacing, and capacity-building
needs;

(b) Obtain agreement on utilization and phased implementation of
international labour migration database indicators;

(c) Establish data sharing and coordination among national institutions
concerned, and encourage application of international statistical
standards to obtaining data on labour migration;

368 Ibid., p. 18 (par. 2.4).
369 Ibid., p. 5.
370 Ibid., p. 22. See pp. 4145 for further details of the activity components.

145Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

(d) Interface data with relevant international labour market and labour
migration databases; and

(e) Support provision of competencies, training and appropriate
hardware and software.

SADC initiatives in this regard are also developing in the SADC context and
need to be taken note of for purposes of further developing the labour migration
data system in Namibia. At a high level, the recently adopted SADC Protocol on
Employment and Labour (2014) implores State parties to endeavour promoting
labour migration data collection, analysis and exchange at regional and national
levels.371 The draft SADC labour migration policy summarizes the challenges in
this regard in the following terms:372

& [a]ll SADC Member States are confronted with labour migration,
whether as sending, receiving or transit countries. Yet, there is currently
no SADC repository of data on labour migration and while there are several
national and sub-regional resources, these are scattered and at times
difficult to access. A prerequisite to improved labour migration is a better
understanding of underlying socio-economic trends and the systematic
collection of evidence.

It therefore foresees the following strategy:373

(a) Supporting the adoption of common norms and standards across
Member States statistical agencies and using existing SADC structures
to ensure the setting of targets and monitoring of progress, as well as
accessibility of collected data.

(b) A focus on initial priority areas:
(i) Migration stocks and flows: Standardization of data collection

mechanisms across Member States from census and border
control data sets;

(ii) Labour market data: Standardization of migration modules
within labour market surveys; in the absence of LMS, support
for insertion of migration module in first LMS; and

(iii) Creation of regular data collection mechanism and accessible
platform within one existing Member State statistics agency.

371 SADC Protocol on Employment Labour (2014) article 19(k).
372 SADC, Draft Labour Migration Policy. Policy Area 4: Data (2013).
373 Ibid.

146 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Section 5.3 of the SADC Labour Migration Policy Framework, which
deals with migration data, foresees the creation of national labour migration
databanks and a regional database on regional labour migration. It suggests the
following:374

(a) All Member States should mainstream labour migration into the LFS
modules and other relevant surveys in order to create national labour
migration databanks that are regularly updated. Such information
shall be shared between and among SADC Member States and with
SADC Secretariat using the agreed SADC template on Labour Market
Information; and

(b) SADC Secretariat is to maintain a regional database on intraregional
labour migration that is updated on a regular basis.

Finally, the SADC Labour Migration Action Plan 20132015 foresees the
availability of data and statistics on migration among Member States as one of
its goals. In this regard, it lists the following output with associated activities:375

LMIS inclusive of migration indicators established the following:

(i) Identify labour migration indicators to be included in the LMIS;
(ii) Develop a standardized template for data collection pertaining

to labour migration; and
(iii) Biennial reports to be submitted to SADC Secretariat.

G.3.3. Recommendations

G.3.3.1. Strengthening the NSA and the migration statistical
environment (Recommendation 13)

It is evident that despite important developments in the expansion of the
breadth and depth of its activities, much needs to be done to enhance the NSAs
capacity in rendering a more comprehensive and emphatic service in the broad
area of migration domain to help inform evidence-based policymaking in this
largely neglected area in Namibia. This is also specifically acknowledged in the
NSA Strategic Plan 2012/2013 to 2016/2017.

374 SADC, Labour Migration Policy Framework (2014), par. 5.3.1.
375 SADC, Labour Migration Action Plan 20132015 (2013).

147Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

The need for capacity-building, consolidation and strategic direction was
emphasized by the NSA in the course of interviews that the consultant had
with the NSA. The NSA indicated that it would want to be in a position with a
migration database. Thematically, much needs to be done to ensure that the NSA
sufficiently cover migration areas that are relevant to Namibian stakeholders
and the neglected Namibian migration data context, but which are currently
not appropriately addressed particularly in the areas of immigration, irregular
migration, migration from Namibia, human trafficking, diaspora involvement and
remittances, DRM, migration and health, and migration and skills (development).
The NSAs involvement in the recent occupational skills audit survey, the
envisaged LMIS, the more regular launching of LFS and the publication of a
Migration Report indicate the NSAs commitment in this regard. Institutionally,
while the NSA is already collaborating with various ministries to help provide
data on particular migration-related themes, cooperation with other ministries
could support the migration statistical environment in Namibia. In this regard,
consideration should be given to strengthen the links between the NSA and
the MHAI to ensure collation, analysis and accessibility of currently unavailable
immigration-related data (as discussed later in this report). Operationally, the
NSA should integrate migration into data management practice and to support
the reinforcement of systems, this could be done with technical assistance from
the European Union.

The above interventions, and those indicated below, will give expression
to the leading role that the NSA is supposed to play. Another key mandate of
the NSA is to coordinate the National Statistics System (NSS). The NSS comprises
statistics producers, respondents, users of statistics, research institutions,
and training institutions and their interrelations, inter alia, in compilation,
dissemination and use of statistics, research and development of statistical
methods and techniques, and the training of statisticians.376

In 2012, the NSA Strategic Plan already identified, among others, the
following weaknesses that need to be addressed; from the discussion in the
rest of this assessment, it is clear that these deficiencies are also experienced in
some other statistical environments:377

" There is capacity weakness in that there is a shortage of some categories
of trained statistical staff;

376 Ibid., p. 12.
377 Ibid., p. 9.

148 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

" There is high turnover of statistical staff, especially among those with
professional and technical qualifications and skills;

" There is shortage of senior staff with management skills and expertise;
" There is shortage of staff with the analytical skills required for preparing

analyses for dissemination;
" There is as yet not much of a culture of quality among NSS producer

organizations in general, and within the NSA in particular;
" The current organizational culture is not strongly geared towards delivery,

quality and a user focus, and it may take time to change this;
" The process of coordinating the statistical system is not well developed,

and there is little experience to build on;
" Coordination efforts, starting anew, may take some time to become

effective;
" The operational costs to produce statistics are high, given the size of the

country and the dispersion of people and economic activities;
" There are many capacity weaknesses in the NSA, and the situation in most

other statistics producers in the country is similar or worse;
" Until very recently, there has been little or no consultation or feedback

between producers and users, so user needs are not well known;
" There has as yet been no systematic effort to document and archive past

data processes, with the result that there is a major backlog; and
" Significant amounts of collected data have not been processed and

published, and are not stored in digitized form.

G.3.3.2. Key indicators for labour migration (Recommendation 14)

Note has to be taken of recent steps to develop a standardized framework
regarding key indicators for labour migration. No agreed framework exists
for statistics on migrant workers the UN employs a definition, which has
demographic counting of the population as its main objective, focusing on
immigration/emigration and population change. The ILO, in turn, uses working
definitions, with the main objective of characterizing labour market dynamics
and impact, and informing employment and labour migration policies. There is,
therefore, the need to use coherent concepts, definitions and methods. For this
purpose, it might be appropriate to employ the definition of a migrant worker
used in article 2(1) of the 1990 UN International Convention on the Protection of
the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, namely that a
migrant worker refers to a person who is to be engaged, is engaged, or has been
engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national
(Diallo, 2015).

149Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

A draft Labour Migration Questionnaire has been developed, to be used
for collecting data for the labour migration database in Africa, and to inform
the concrete steps to be taken under the new African Union JLMP, discussed
elsewhere in this report. This was initially developed for and applied in ASEAN
countries, and is being applied in nine Arab countries. The following are indicated
as labour migration indicators included in the questionnaire (Diallo, 2015):

International Migrant Stocks

1. Resident population by sex and by labour force status/ labour force
participation (total and migrants)

2. Working age population by sex and by level of qualification (total and
migrants)

3. Migrants by country of origin, reason for moving

4. Employed migrants by country of origin

5. Employed persons (total and migrants) by sex and by industry, occupation,
and status in employment

6. Employed persons by sex and by average monthly wages (total and
migrants)

7. Labour force participation rates (migrants and non-migrants) by sex, age
and others

8. Employment-to-population ratios (migrants and non-migrants) by sex, age
and others

9. Unemployment rates (migrants and non-migrants) by sex, age and others
International Migrant Flows

10. Inflows of migrants by sex and by country of origin, levels of qualification

11. Inflows of employed migrants by sex and by industry, occupation, status in
employment

Emigration
12. Nationals abroad by sex and by country of residence

13. Outflow of nationals by sex and by country of destination

150 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

G.3.3.3. Other data-related recommendations (Recommendation 15)

In order to enhance the collection, analysis, management and use of data
(also with reference to the availability of suitable data sources), the following
recommendations are made:

(a) Enhance migration-related data in census and household surveys.
Emphasis should be placed on the inclusion of standardized migration-
related questions/indicators in relevant census and household
surveys, including labour force and sectoral surveys. There should be
a focus on publishing cross-tabulations of migration-related data so
obtained between age, sex and educational attainment, exploiting
administrative data sources.

(b) Align the migration data collection framework. Alignment with
international and regional approaches is important, in connection
with, among others, definitions, methodologies and standards.
See in this regard the immigrant and emigrant data variables
recommended by the United Nations Statistics Commission. Again,
to the extent required, regard may be had to the Statistics Division
of the UN DESA, Eurostat, the ILO Database of Labour Statistics, the
OECDs International Migration Outlook and World Bank remittance
data to compare approaches and collected data. This will supplement
current approaches in this regard.

(c) Expedite LMIS development. It has been noted that the development
of efficient, comprehensive and integrated LMISs comprising labour
migration information is a prerequisite for efficient employment
and migration policies, as well in the implementation of bilateral
migration agreements.378

(d) Improve inter-institutional collaboration. It is important to note that
in certain critical areas of data surveys and collection, the lack of
inter-institutional collaboration is apparent.

(e) Mainstream migration data. Flowing from the previous point, there is
a need to mainstream migration data in national (including sectoral)
and regional migration management and development planning.

(f) Collect labour market data from major destination countries to
support possible labour-exporting initiatives.

(g) Share and disseminate data. The collected and analysed labour
migration data needs to be shared with relevant public and private
sector role-players and presented in a user-friendly format, in order

378 Martin, 2011, p. 5.

151Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

to inform decision-taking and direction. Public awareness of available
data should also be ensured. In this regard, there is a need to ensure
that data is sufficiently disaggregated to support functions such as
skills matching.

(h) Develop impact indicators. The NSA could develop impact indicators
at the micro, meso and macrolevels to measure the impacts of
migration initiatives, for example, the short-term return of diaspora
professionals and other migrant workers.

(i) Enhance the technical capacity of the NSA.
(j) Enhance the capacity of line ministries. The NSA should assist line

ministries to move from a paper-based system based on individual
files to a digitalized and standardized system of data collection, and
provide appropriate data templates for use by the statistics sections
of relevant data-collecting line ministries. These ministries should
ensure that the migration data supplied by, for example, recruitment
agencies, is in the appropriate format for analysis.

(k) Enhance interaction of Namibian foreign missions with the
diaspora. With assistance from the NSA, foreign missions can
undertake surveys of the diaspora in key host countries, identifying
skills, entrepreneurial activities, impediments to home country
contributions and key incentives for removing obstacles.

(l) Invest in training.
(m) Make data available to researchers and interested parties. Ensure

that data that has been gathered are accessible to researchers
and other interested stakeholders, to inform policy development,
strategic direction and operational activity.

153Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

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167Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

international agreements and instruments

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Southern African Development Community (SADC)
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National Planning Commission Act 2 of 2013

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Statistics Act 9 of 2011

168 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

appendix ii: Namibian higher education institutions:
Foreign students by nationality

Table 26: Foreign students by nationality

Institutions name Total, all institutions
Country/territory of citizenship Male Female Not stated Total
Afghanistan 1 1

Algeria 1 1

American Samoa 1 1

Andorra 1 1

Angola 570 386 956

Argentina 4 3 7

Botswana 70 95 165

Brazil 1 1

Britain 4 4 8

Burkina Faso 1 1

Burundi 6 4 10

Cameroon 4 1 5

China 8 3 11

Taiwan 1 1

Congo 39 28 67

United Republic of Tanzania 2 4 6

Democratic Republic of the Congo 13 10 23

Egypt 1 1

Ethiopia 1 1

Finland 1 1

Germany 4 11 15

Ghana 4 2 6

Guinea-Bissau 2 2

India 7 9 16

Indonesia 2 2

Italy 1 1

Kenya 23 11 34

Lesotho 3 8 11

Liberia 2 2

Malawi 32 32 64

Malaysia 1 1

Mali 1 1

Mozambique 2 2

Namibia 15,267 27,548 8 42,823

Namibia Permanent Residents 16 11 27

Netherlands 1 1

Nigeria 29 29 58

Not stated 291 446 737

169Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

Philippines 1 1

Republic of Korea 1 1

Rwanda 8 4 12

Sierra Leone 2 1 3

South Africa 19 40 59

Swaziland 5 6 11

United Republic of Tanzania 33 25 58

Tunisia 1 1

Uganda 16 14 30

Ukraine 1 1

United States 2 2

Western Sahara 1 1

Zambia 408 391 799

Zimbabwe 440 473 913

Total 17,343 29,612 8 46,963

Source: Namibian National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).

Appendix III: Trends in international migrant stock

Table 27: Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants from Namibia, 2013

Major area, region, country or area
of destination

Total male and
female migrant stock

Total male migrant
stock

Total female
migrant stock

WORLD 137,498 66,454 71,044
More developed regions 4,647 2,261 2,386
Less developed regions 132,851 64,193 68,658
Least developed countries 1,528 805 723
Less developed regions excluding
least developed countries

131,323 63,388 67,935

Sub-Saharan Africa 132,756 64,128 68,628
AFRICA 132,769 64,133 68,636

Eastern Africa 749 445 304
Kenya 55 26 29

Seychelles 3 3 0

United Republic of Tanzania 633 386 247

Zambia 58 30 28

Middle Africa 828 388 440
Angola 828 388 440

Northern Africa 13 5 8
Egypt 13 5 8

Southern Africa 131,179 63,295 67,884
Botswana 1,682 854 828

Lesotho 9 1 8

South Africa 129,488 62,440 67,048

Western Africa 0 0 0

170 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

ASIA 11 9 2
Central Asia 0 0 0
Eastern Asia 0 0 0
South-Eastern Asia 0 0 0
Southern Asia 0 0 0
Western Asia 11 9 2

Cyprus 5 5 0

Jordan 2 1 1

Turkey 4 3 1

EUROPE 1,658 771 887
Eastern Europe 159 89 70

Bulgaria 3 2 1

Czech Republic 24 12 12

Hungary 9 6 3

Poland 6 0 6

Russian Federation 116 68 48

Slovakia 1 1 0

Northern Europe 455 197 258
Denmark 62 23 39

Finland 81 33 48

Iceland 34 15 19

Ireland 66 26 40

Lithuania 3 2 1

Norway 94 39 55

Sweden 115 59 56

United Kingdom

Southern Europe 121 65 56
Greece 11 9 2

Italy 85 41 44

Malta 4 4 0

Portugal 19 10 9

Slovenia 2 1 1

Western Europe 923 420 503
Austria 164 63 101

France 171 77 94

Germany

Netherlands 261 112 149

Switzerland 327 168 159

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 71 51 20
Caribbean 3 2 1

Cuba 3 2 1

Central America 4 2 2
Mexico 1 0 1

Panama 3 2 1

171Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

South America 64 47 17
Argentina 3 3 0

Brazil 49 40 9

Chile 8 4 4

Ecuador 3 0 3

Peru 1 0 1

NORTHERN AMERICA 1,441 751 690
Canada 517 247 270

United States 924 504 420

OCEANIA 1,548 739 809
Australia and New Zealand 1,548 739 809

Australia 1,178 584 594

New Zealand 370 155 215

Melanesia 0 0 0
Micronesia 0 0 0
Polynesia 0 0 0

Source: UN DESA, 2013c, Tables 1, 4, 7 and 10.

Table 28: Trends in international migrant stock: Migrants from Namibia, 19902013 per
country, Total migrant stock at mid-year by origin and by major area, region, country or area of
destination, 19902013

Major area, region, country or
area of destination

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 1990

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2000

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2010

Total male and
female migrant

stock, 2013
WORLD 80,249 48,158 117,635 137,498

More developed regions 1,789 2,683 4,294 4,647
Less developed regions 78,460 45,475 113,341 132,851
Least developed countries 3,055 1,087 1,415 1,528

Less developed regions excluding
least developed countries

75,405 44,388 111,926 131,323

Sub-Saharan Africa 78,030 45,442 113,249 132,756
AFRICA 78,434 45,449 113,261 132,769

Eastern Africa 2,772 693 742 749
Kenya 65 66 59 55

Seychelles 2 1 3 3

United Republic of Tanzania 370 526 613 633

Zambia 2,335 100 67 58

Middle Africa 345 457 725 828
Angola 345 457 725 828

Northern Africa 404 7 12 13
Egypt 404 7 12 13

Southern Africa 74,913 44,292 111,782 131,179
Botswana 286 673 1,389 1,682

Lesotho 5 4 10 9

South Africa 74,622 43,615 110,383 129,488

Western Africa 0 0 0 0

172 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

ASIA 8 8 11 11
Central Asia 0 0 0 0
Eastern Asia 0 0 0 0
South-Eastern Asia 0 0 0 0
Southern Asia 0 0 0 0
Western Asia 8 8 11 11

Cyprus 1 2 4 5

Jordan 4 3 3 2

Turkey 3 3 4 4

EUROPE 710 1,009 1,478 1,658
Eastern Europe 116 99 160 159

Bulgaria 1 2 3 3

Czech Republic 2 3 24 24

Hungary 0 5 8 9

Poland 7 5 6 6

Russian Federation 106 83 118 116

Slovakia 0 1 1 1

Northern Europe 135 217 402 455
Denmark 10 37 59 62

Finland 51 24 74 81

Iceland 10 19 37 34

Ireland 7 48 54 66

Lithuania 1 1 4 3

Norway 19 40 84 94

Sweden 37 48 90 115

United Kingdom 0 0 0 0

Southern Europe 58 171 104 121
Greece 5 5 11 11

Italy 13 35 70 85

Malta 1 2 3 4

Portugal 39 128 18 19

Slovenia 0 1 2 2

Western Europe 401 522 812 923
Austria 101 127 157 164

France 104 111 165 171

Germany 0 0 0 0

Netherlands 69 140 239 261

Switzerland 127 144 251 327

LATIN AMERICA AND THE
CARIBBEAN

18 18 69 71

Caribbean 7 3 3 3
Cuba 7 3 3 3

Central America 2 3 4 4
Mexico 2 2 1 1

Panama 0 1 3 3

173Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

South America 9 12 62 64
Argentina 4 4 3 3

Brazil 0 0 48 49

Chile 2 6 7 8

Ecuador 1 1 3 3

Peru 2 1 1 1

NORTHERN AMERICA 690 1,001 1,389 1,441
Canada 174 305 497 517

United States 516 696 892 924

OCEANIA 389 673 1,427 1,548
Australia and New Zealand 389 673 1,427 1,548

Australia 278 447 1,092 1,178

New Zealand 111 226 335 370

Melanesia 0 0 0 0
Micronesia 0 0 0 0
Polynesia 0 0 0 0

Source: UN DESA, 2013c, Tables 1, 4, 7 and 10.

Appendix IV: List of institutions consulted

" Office of the President, National Planning Commission
" Office of the Prime Minister, Directorate Disaster Risk Management
" Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation

(previously the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare)
" Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration
" Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (previously the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
" Ministry of Safety and Security
" Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development (previously the

Ministry of Trade and Industry)
" Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare
" Ministry of Health and Social Services (Directorate: Social Welfare Services)
" Ministry of Defence
" Ministry of Education
" Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General (previously the Ministry of

Justice)
" Prosecutor-General of Namibia and Prosecutor, Ohanguena
" Namibia Statistics Agency
" National Training Authority
" Social Security Commission of Namibia
" Border officials, Oshikango Border Post
" Border officials, Santa Clara Border Post (Angola)

174 Migration in Namibia: A Country Profile 2015

" Financial Intelligence Centre (regulator for remittance services), also in its
capacity as acting chair of the Technical Committee on Implementation of
the Anti-Terrorism Law

" Electoral Commission of Namibia
" Bank of Namibia (specific division, focusing on international migration

service)
" University of Namibia
" Polytechnic of Namibia
" Trade Union Congress of Namibia
" National Employers Federation
" UNDP
" UNICEF
" UNHCR
" IOM
" WHO
" UNESCO
" Elite Employment (Private Employment Agency)
" Chamber of Mines

M
igration in N

am
ibia A

CO
U

N
TRY PRO

FILE 2015

International Organization for Migration (IOM)
17 route des Morillons, P.O. Box 17, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland

Tel.: +41 22 717 9111 " Fax: +41 22 798 6150
E-mail: hq@iom.int " Website: www.iom.int

Migration in Namibia
A COUNTRY PROFILE 2015