All Press Releases
20 November 2008
Media Release
November 20th, 2008, Universal Children's Day 2008
Countries must stop the detention of children
On the occasion of Universal Children's Day 2008, the International Coalition on the Detention of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants (IDC) calls upon States to stop the detention of migrant and refugee children.
In a recent survey of 21 countries on detention issues, the...
18 November 2008
20 November 2008 Lawyers for Human Rights welcomes the decision of theConstitutional Court today to postpone the hearing of the Moutse demarcationdispute in order to allow the Minister of Provincial and Local Government anopportunity to address the concerns of the Moutse community regarding theirtransfer from Mpumalanga and to Limpopo. The Minister's request to court follows his recent...
29 October 2008
PRESS RELEASE - 29 October 2008
On 16 October 2008 three Zimbabweans detained in immigration detention in Musina were subjected to cruel and inhumane assaults at the hands of a number of police officers. The detention facility, commonly referred to as SMG, is controlled by the South African Police Service in Musina.
The police officers tightly handcuffed one of the detainees with his hands...
22 October 2008
21 October 2008LHR reached an agreement with the Department of HomeAffairs today for the release of thirty-seven foreign nationals who have beendetained at Lindela Holding Facility since 6 August 2008. The 37 men were amongst hundreds of displaced foreignerswho sought temporary shelter and protection at Rifle Range, Glenanda followingthe xenophobic attacks in May of this year. Despite their...
14 October 2008
LHR has brought an urgent application against the Department of Home Affairs on behalf of 208 foreign nationals to be argued in the Pretoria High Court today.
This group of men were amongst the hundreds of displaced foreigners who sought temporary protection at Rifle Range, Glenanda following the xenophobic attacks in may of this year. During July they were part of a group who were removed...
23 September 2008
LAWYERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CONDEMNS INTIMIDATION TACTICS AGAINST XENOPHOBIC CAMP RESIDENTS
Pretoria, South Africa, 23 September, 2008
Lawyers for Human Rights has been monitoring the situation in the recently consolidated camps for the victims of May's xenophobic violence. We have also been following the court process taking place in the Constitutional Court and await the directions from the...
31 July 2008
Yesterday, a group of refugees was remanded in custody until next week for a minor traffic violation following a police crackdown on their makeshift camp on the R28 Highway. This camp was created as asylum seekers and refugees were gradually released from the Lindela Holding Facility following their arrest and removal from the Glenanda protection camp. Each of the men had been charged under...
24 July 2008
Amnesty International today condemned the forcible removal by police of more than 700 people, including refugees and asylum-seekers, from the Glenanda ("Rifle Range Road") displacement camp near Johannesburg to Lindela Repatriation Centre.
23 July 2008
Lawyers for Human Rights has been monitoring the situation at the Rifle Range Camp for victims of xenophobic attacks. We are greatly concerned about the recent arrests of residents of the camp who refused to register and be issued with a temporary exemption permit under the Immigration Act.
Although LHR sees the issuing of such permits as an important step towards the reintegration of...
11 July 2008
UNHCR has noticed some disturbing developments with the pattern of displacement from Zimbabwe following the March general elections and accelerating since the 27 June presidential run-off vote, with more refugees crossing the border into South Africa seeking asylum. Previously, most Zimbabweans crossing the border were single men (about 90 percent) or women seeking work. We are now seeing...