This had led to distorted and at times xenophobic attitudes toward immigrants, the abuse of their rights and inappropriate regulations and procedures. The report, which was compiled by the Southern African Migration Project, explodes a number of myths and stereotypes commonly assumed to be true of visitors, particularly from neighbouring countries. These beliefs hold that immigrants are generally poor and desperate people keen to enter South Africa in their millions by whatever means necessary, that employment and health benefits are the major incentives, that the source countries suffer as a result of the migration and that South Africa is expected to throw its doors open to whoever wants to enter. All of these are wrong, according to James. But it's important not to overreact, to perceive that there's a flood of people.
Most migrants enter South Africa frequently, legally and are well educated, the report says.
By and large, people prefer their home country to South Africa. It added that most migrants were concerned about the high levels of crime and were generally reluctant to consider a permanent move over a short trip to conduct business, visit family or take a holiday. Almost 90 percent of those surveyed held official passports, more than 90 percent had entered South Africa through the usual customs and border posts and 72 percent had the appropriate South African visas. The results suggest that the most likely people to go to South Africa are young, single men who have been encouraged by their families to migrate. These are not the kind of circumstances associated with people leaving their homes in droves to go to South Africa.