Does BP think spreading feces a good way to deter migrants?

Did BP use bodily waste to prevent immigrant workers from sitting outside its gas station?

The South African refugee advocacy group PASSOP (People against Suffering, Oppression and Poverty) and the Western Cape branch of Young Workers Forum of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU YWF) want to know.

On Wednesday 12 October they discovered that a BP service station was doing just that in the Cape Town suburb of Salt River.

It was smeared on a picket fence and on the street in front of the BP location. The low fence was where immigrant job seekers sit daily, waiting for jobs.

COSATU YWF and PASSOP asked what was going on and was told that the “head of security” instructed that the smearing be done — with the “full knowledge of BP management” — and not for the first time, despite complaints.

Some of those affected have now lodged a complaint with the South African human rights commission.

South Africa hosts millions of refugees from around the continent. 1.5 – 3 million Zimbabweans now live in South Africa.

Most refugees to South Africa arrive by bus after journeys that last weeks from countries such as Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia and Tanzania. When they get close to the border, those without legal papers walk through the bush and swim across rivers to avoid being sent back.

In May 2008 a series of xenophobic riots left 41 African refugees and 21 South African citizens dead. More attacks followed a year later. There were allegations that the pogroms were promoted by local politicians, though both the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have spoken out against xenophobia.

Zimbabweans fleeing political violence are labeled undocumented “economic migrants” and many human rights monitors are convinced the South African government is committed to expelling as many Zimbabweans as possible, as soon as possible.

At the beginning of this year, the scale of undocumented Zimbabwean migrant applications for regularization forced the government to delay mass repatriations. Those are now believed to have started.

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Picture PASSOP

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Shirley M.

6:45PM PST on Nov 17, 2011

This is a wonderful video that could perhaps help change the 'them and us' thinking that creates conflict. It's extraordinary, and could be life changing for those of us seeking answers to seemingly unanswerable questions. With love.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/what-happens-after-death.html

send a green star

Quanta K.

3:13AM PDT on Oct 18, 2011

noted.

Allan Y.

4:38PM PDT on Oct 17, 2011

BP's world wide reputation has begun to equal what they smeared on the street front.

Lynne B.

9:41AM PDT on Oct 17, 2011

Sigh. Where there is gutter practices BP always seem to be tied up in it.

Isabelle L.

2:47PM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

I have to say I'm not a big fan of immigration especially when our government gives them crazy amounts of money to start businesses and meanwhile would never bother giving canadian born that type of money. Really wish governments would take care of their own before putting themselves in deeper debt for immigrants.

BP just likes to spread shit plain and simple whether it be against immigrants or against the ocean.

Gale T.

11:24AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

maybe we should be smearing crap on their gas pumps so no one buys their gas.

Pogle S.

11:22AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

Marc my friend, I’ve had enough of arguing moot points for today, you can have the last word but just let me say love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world for the better.
All my very best,

marc r.

10:39AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

Pogle,
At what point does immigration become invasion? When a country is developing it needs immigrants to work in the factories,mines etc. 30 years ago South Africa needed a lot of labor so they encouraged immigration to fill their needs millions came even with their unfortunate Aparthied system it was still better than where they came from but times change, needs change,It 's a different world now almost all the land is occupied now there are fewer places to go. There will always be a place for immigrants, however countries must set quotas and screen them thoroughly. The immigrants must be willing to assimilate with the indigenous population otherwise they become invaders. That is unacceptable! Do you see the difference?

10:15AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

@ Marc; apology accepted, we all make mistakes.

10:14AM PDT on Oct 16, 2011

I don’t believe that about human nature Marc, what you are referring to is learnt behaviour. If the Caribe hadn’t been so naive [and it’s interesting to see you use the word sophisticated; did you know that the base meaning is to corrupt, to make impure?] and the settlers hadn’t been driven by their ‘negative mind-set shapers’ [the same people that control the corporate world today], things may well have turned out differently. I agree that we have wars fighting for someone else’s territory but that’s about greed and not need. I won’t support any war. As I said earlier about Ernest’s assertion; none of it is true! How many millions of interlopers have entered the USA over the generations? Is America on its knees because of them? No of course it’s not! Stop being fearful and look in your heart for the pure joy in being.