Xenophobia and the migrant labour force

This chapter examines migrant workers. It discusses identity politics, considering notions of ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, examining tensions around (un)belonging. The chapter also explores the inequalities experienced by some migrant labour forces such as low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of security. Using the concept of xenophobia and drawing on a South African case study, this chapter pays close attention to the rural–migrant experiences of xenophobia. The case study explores how rural migrants travel to urban centres to find work and analyses the different forms of xenophobia produced, shared, and consumed in social organisations and institutions. This chapter explains how some migrant workers become victimised and used as ‘scapegoats’ in society, blamed for social problems, such as crime and other social issues.