The impact of the xenophobia phenomenon of international students at a selected institution of higher learning in the Western Cape

Abstract

This study is based upon the understanding that xenophobia has become a contentious issue in South Africa. International migrants have increasingly become victims of xenophobia at the hands of South African citizens. The commitment to shed some light on the nature of xenophobia in South Africa by examining the experiences of international students in a selected institution of higher learning in Cape Town is what has anchored this study. There is, indeed, evidence of some tension between a fraction of the South African population and international migrants from other African countries. Examining the experiences of international students and their views about xenophobia, the study concluded that the country’s segregated history was a contributing factor to the negative behavior of citizens towards non-citizens. International students have the potential to strengthen both the development of South African institutions of higher learning and the economy at large, they are, however, regarded as being here to disrupt the social order. Even though all international students share the same sense of need to meet and get along with others in the new country, African students endure special difficulties. For, whatever unfortunate reasons, most institutions of higher learning seem not to be doing much to enlighten their local students about other African countries, cultures and histories. Students from elsewhere in Africa often find their South African classmates to be rather uninformed when it comes to appreciating their heritage. This lack of knowledge often sets the stage for xenophobic sentiments between the locals, international migrants in general and international students in particular.