Online Reporter
AS pressure continues to mount on foreign nationals in South Africa, including many Zimbabweans, attention must also focus on what happens when people return home. Whether they come back voluntarily or as a result of deportation, returnees remain Zimbabwean citizens and deserve to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
Much has been said about the rights of migrants living in foreign countries, and rightly so. Every person deserves protection from violence, discrimination and abuse regardless of their nationality. However, the responsibility to uphold human dignity does not end when migrants cross back into Zimbabwe. In many cases, the challenges they face upon returning can be just as difficult.
For years, thousands of Zimbabweans have left the country in search of work, education and better opportunities. Many have made significant sacrifices to support families back home through remittances that have helped sustain households and communities during difficult economic periods. Others have struggled to find stable employment or have fallen victim to circumstances beyond their control.
When these men and women return home, they should not be met with judgment or hostility. There is a tendency in some communities to assume that anyone who has lived abroad must have accumulated wealth. Those who return without material success are sometimes unfairly viewed as failures. Such attitudes ignore the realities of migration and the hardships many people endure while trying to build a life in another country.
The situation is often even more complicated for the children of returnees. Many of these children have spent most of their lives in South Africa. Some were born there and know no other home. They may speak with different accents, have limited knowledge of local languages and be unfamiliar with customs and social norms in Zimbabwe.
These children should never be made to feel like outsiders in the country of their parents. They are not responsible for the circumstances that have brought them back. Instead, they need understanding and support as they adjust to a new environment. Schools should play a leading role in helping them integrate, ensuring they are welcomed by both teachers and fellow pupils.
Government departments must also ensure that returning families can easily access essential services. Children should not be denied education because of documentation challenges. Healthcare, social services and other public institutions should be equipped to assist families who are rebuilding their lives after returning from abroad. A smooth reintegration process benefits not only the families involved but also the country as a whole.
Communities, churches, traditional leaders and civic organisations also have an important role to play. Returnees should be welcomed as members of the national family, not treated as strangers. Many come back with valuable skills, work experience and knowledge acquired abroad. Given the right opportunities, they can contribute meaningfully to local development and economic growth.
Zimbabwe has long called for its citizens abroad to be treated fairly and humanely. It is therefore only right that the same values are upheld when those citizens return home. The principles of dignity, equality and respect should apply regardless of where a person has lived or how long they have been away.
The true measure of a society lies in how it treats the vulnerable. Returnees often arrive home carrying uncertainty, financial hardship and the challenge of starting over. Their children face the task of adapting to unfamiliar surroundings while trying to build a sense of belonging. They deserve support, not suspicion; acceptance, not discrimination.
For many returnees, Zimbabwe is more than a destination. It is home. Home should be a place where people are welcomed, protected and given the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
