Pretoria – The Department of Home Affairs has noted and is studying a report on the problems asylum seekers face at Cape Town’s Refugee Reception Centre.
The report, titled ‘The Road to Documentation: Asylum Seekers’ Access to Cape Town’s Refugee Reception Centre’, was compiled by People Suffering Against Oppression and Poverty, a non-governmental organisation.
According to the report, over a two week period, more than 1 600 people were turned away unassisted, while several people were physically abused and asylum seekers were left without toilets for more than a month.
The department said it would formulate and communicate a comprehensive response once it has studied the report and its findings.
The department is currently in the process of reviewing its refugee and immigration policy.
As part of this review, amendments to the current acts governing the way in which the country responds to refugees and immigrants – the Refugee and Immigration Acts – are currently before Parliament, it added.
“Once these legislative amendments have been assented into law, they will assist the department in streamlining and fast tracking the way in which refugees and immigrants are issued with the relevant paperwork to allow them to remain legally in South Africa,” the department said. – BuaNews
