Operation Dudula is in the news: members of this so-called patriotic South African movement patrol one of the major hospitals, interrogating prospective patients and chasing suspected immigrants away. The police look on.

Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa, many refugees from political persecution or economic hardship, were granted special work permits since 2009, but these will now expire, affecting some 180,000 people who left their own country for a number of reasons. Many sought a better economic future in a time when their own country was wracked by runaway inflation and economic mismanagement, but many also sought to escape political and ethnic persecution. At first, South African politicians prided themselves on returning the favor to people who, during the Apartheid years, hosted South African political refugees, terming the action a gesture of support and solidarity. But as the Zimbabwean economy collapsed, the South African government stood by, refusing to advise or encourage positive economic or political renewal. 

These immigrants were mostly hard workers, eager to learn, improve their lot, and build a future. Many sent money back to relatives still in Zimbabwe, but there were also the notorious Zama-zamas, illegal miners seeking fortune in Johannesburg's abandoned gold mines or preying on isolated communities. While criminal gangs in South Africa are often equated with Zimbabwean Army deserters, the facts do not quite bear out the popular belief. 

With the special work permits not being renewed, streams of people are now beginning to return, claiming that even those with useful skills are being refused work permits. This has a number of important implications: Firstly, South Africa stands to lose a significant proportion of its workforce. A recent photo of a road work gang circulating on social media had the sarcastic comment: "Four supervisors, two Human Resource specialists, three managers, four logistics people, and the guy in the hole doing the work is a Zimbabwean." At the same time, Zimbabweans spend their income in small, often informal shops. These stand to lose out now. 

Zimbabwe is already bracing its rickety economy against the loss of significant foreign remittances that play an important role in the economy. There is also another unquantified aspect. People who have become used to the relatively open South African economy and its relatively free press are likely to chafe against business toes that are controlled by the ruling party and the limits placed by authorities on freedom of expression. 

Immigration is a worldwide phenomenon. In the South African case, the factors that push people to leave the land of their birth are ignored. The European problem with immigration, likewise, ignores the reasons people risk their lives to find greener pastures. It is easy to say: "Go back to your country." 

What should be done is to help people build successful economies, democratic societies, and rules-based systems of governance. If the cause is removed instead of treating the symptoms, a durable solution may be found.