SA asylum-seekers, refugees’ policy in focus

South Africa is undergoing a major asylum-seekers and refugees policy shift, which has resulted in a reduction of protection for those seeking help.

That is according to a report titled “Policy Shifts in the South African Asylum System: Evidence and Implications” by the Lawyers for Human Rights and the African Centre for Migration and Society in a report released Friday in Johannesburg.

The lobby groups argue that the policy shifts will result in people being sent back to their countries to face persecution.  The LHR group reports that there were no consultations or policy documents to support reasons for the changes, and it suggest that the move may conflict with or contravene existing laws.

According to the report, shifts in policy have affected negatively the service for asylum seekers with the closure of refugee reception offices outside main administrative centres. The government intends to move offices to major cities near borders.

“The closures happened in PE, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. In Johannesburg, all the asylum seekers can travel to Pretoria for assistance but in PE and Cape Town there are no services closer by. What is happening is that existing file holders are being attended to but the new ones cannot be helped,” said Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, LHR Head of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme.

The LHR also says the policy issue has affected services at the Refugee Appeals Board where there’s a backlog of cases, “The backlog stands at around 74,000 - that was the statistics in May last year,” said Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh.

The report has called on the Public Protector to intervene and probe claims that border officials deny entry to asylum seekers. It also wants an investigation into the proposed move of refugee reception offices and its impact and cost.

Lawyers for Human Rights adds that a probe must also be launched into what it calls the Home Affairs Department’s repeated non-compliance with court orders to respond to the closure of refugee offices and in other asylum and detention related matters.

Recommendations have also been made to the Home Affairs Department on the policy shifts, including that the ministry should allow the South African Human Rights Commission and UNHCR to monitor border crossing processes.

The organisation has not yet formally submitted the report to the Home Affairs Department and the Public Protector’s office.