Skilled Zimbabweans Look Across Borders For New Opportunities

April 7, 2008 - PRLog -- Political unrest, collapse of infrastructure and rising unemployment has caused skilled Zimbabweans to migrate in search of a brighter future.

Zimbabwe is estimated to have a population of 13 million, however mass exodus makes these numbers unreliable. Around 3.4 million citizens from Zimbabwe are believed to have fled their home land and it is the immigration of skilled workers that worsens the Zimbabwean situation.

South Africa, particularly, is filled with Zimbabwean immigrants. Skilled Zimbabwean citizens are crossing the border to South Africa and Malawi, or entering the United Kingdom and Canada.

Global Visas (www.globalvisas.com) can help to secure work permits for those seeking to immigrate to a variety of destinations from South Africa, Canada and the United Kingdom. The South African work permit which, like UK work permits and similar documentation in many other countries, allows candidates to work for a specific employer in a specific pre-arranged position.

According to Robbie Ragless, Manager of the Global Visa (www.globalvisas.co.za) South Africa branch, there is a constant demand for help with emigration from Zimbabwe, “In South Africa we get about 30 calls a day and in London around ten from Zimbabweans enquiring about moving to South Africa.”

In a survey on Zimbabweans in South Africa by the Centre for Development and Enterprises, of the almost 5000 immigrants profiles 92% had left Zimbabwe between 2000 and 2007, citing political and lack of employment as reasons.

Most of those surveyed had at least a school leaving certificate or more. Therefore sought after people like nurses, doctors and teachers are arriving in their droves. This causes education and health services in Zimbabwe to suffer.

The shortage of skills has also greatly affected the mining industry of Zimbabwe, with workers from the top down joining firms throughout Africa constantly in need of skills due to constant implementation of new projects.

A move is highly attractive for these skilled people due to rising unemployment and low pay. A skilled worker can earn about $2500 outside Zimbabwe compared to $200 within Zimbabwe.

South Africa, in particular, can make use of these highly skilled migrants but current immigration policies make this difficult. The South African Qualifications Authority found that the majority of qualifications evaluated by them were for Zimbabwean work permits, suggesting high skills levels among immigrants.

Zimbabweans in South Africa are thought to number up to 4 million and due to the current turmoil around the elections this number is sure to rise.

Website: www.globalvisas.com