Mugabeâ€™s Weary Travelers

Posted by Matt in January 24th, 2008

Zimbabweâ€™s economic crisis has propelled its citizens into South Africa and Botswana. Both countries are feeling the strain of the migration.

These days, a bus ride from Francistown, near the Botswana-Zimbabwe border, to Gaborone, Botswanaâ€™s capital, includes a surprise encounter with the Botswana police. At a checkpoint one hour into the ride, the busload disembarks and police inspect passports, in search of Zimbabwean border jumpers. The economic crisis in Zimbabwe, marked by spiraling inflation rates and empty grocery shelves, is propelling its residents across the border. They donâ€™t always find a welcome mat next door. Some sixty thousand Zimbabweans were deported from Botswana in 2006, and over 23,000 were deported between April and November 2007. South Africa deported over 150,000 Zimbabweans in the first nine months of 2007, according to Refugees International. Though the influx strains both countries, policy changes appear unlikely.

Map for Haifa, Israel

[Countries link to CIA Factbook. States link to Wikipedia.]

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