Programme News
8 January 2011
(News)
Let me begin by reiterating government’s commitment to adjudicating applications from Zimbabweans who wish to regularise their stay in South Africa as soon as possible. As at the end of business on Friday 31 December 2010, the closing date on which applications from undocumented Zimbabwean nationals were accepted, 275762 applications were received. To date, a total of 42779...
15 December 2010
(Press release)
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) jointly and on behalf of a collective of civil society organisations, last week submitted a complaint to the Office of the Public Protector over the refusal by the Department of Home Affairs to extend the deadline for new applications to the Zimbabwe Documentation Project.
The Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela has responded by raising these concerns with...
9 December 2010
(Press release)
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) jointly and on behalf of a collective of civil society organisations, has submitted a complaint to the Office of the Public Protector over the refusal by the Department of Home Affairs to extend the deadline for new applications to the Zimbabwe Documentation Project. Although these organisations were hopeful that the Minister of Home Affairs would...
6 December 2010
(Press release)
Lawyers for Human Rights is an independent human rights organisation with more than thirty years experience in human rights activism and public interest litigation in South Africa. We offer an exciting and challenging work environment covering a wide range of human rights and social justice work.
LHR is seeking candidates with a commitment to social justice and equality to apply for the...
30 November 2010
(News)
After years of being told about the millions of illegal foreigners in the country who are responsible for the high crime rate and who deprive South Africans of jobs and housing, the government has suddenly managed to lose a million Zimbabweans. Where did they go? In the past we've heard about our porous borders and the quantities of foreigners flooding the country.
While the department of...
24 November 2010
(Press release)
PRESS RELEASE - 24 November 2010
After more than ten weeks in detention at OR Tambo International Airport, the Supreme Court of Appeal today overturned a decision of the Pretoria High Court and ordered the immediate release of two Somali refugees - who were being deported by Namibia via South Africa to war-torn Somalia. They are being released tomorrow morning.
The Supreme...
9 November 2010
(Press release)
From today, refugees and asylum seekers will again be able to access their bank accounts using their refugee and asylum seeker permits issued by the Department of Home Affairs. LHR will seek an order by consent in the South Gauteng High Court directing that such permits should be accepted.
In May 2010, the Financial Intelligence Service (the “FIC”) issued a...
27 October 2010
(News)
Lawyers for Human Rights on Tuesday told Parliament changes to the Refugee Act could increase backlogs. The organisation joined rights groups and NGOs at public hearings on the Refugee Amendment Bill.
The proposed legislation aims to establish a Refugee Status Determination Committee to oversee asylum applications instead of leaving the process to one official. Lawyers for Human Rights...
17 October 2010
(News)
The deputy director-general of immigration services, Jackie MacKay, has now been found guilty of contempt of court for "blatantly ignoring" an order by acting Judge Roelof du Plessis. This after MacKay refused to release an unlawfully detained woman despite two orders by the judge to do so. The judge handed down his scathing judgment in the High Court in Pretoria on Monday...
6 October 2010
(News)
Johannesburg — THE sun beat down on the thousands of hats, umbrellas, blankets and bare heads in a queue of Zimbabwean migrants in Harrison Street in the Johannesburg city centre yesterday. Many have been waiting here since the night before, sleeping on the street in an attempt to be close to the front of the line when the office doors open so they can submit their applications for...