The Department of Home Affairs has taken down the tents at the temporary shelters in Paint City and Wingfield, Cape Town.
This comes after the department and its partners engaged the protestors living at the shelters.
On Monday, 26 April 2021, the protestors were given a final notice to take the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offer to assist them to reintegrate into local communities or to voluntarily repatriate to their countries of origin.
Immigration and UNHCR officials have been based at the Proteaville Centre in Bellville, where immigration officials are assisting to verify the status of some foreign nationals who may have lost or misplaced their documents, and those who are undocumented.
“Some of these people need these documents to satisfy the requirements as stipulated by the UNHCR for voluntary repatriation back to their countries of origin and for reintegration,” the Department of Home Affairs said in a statement.
“Over the course of the week, the majority of protestors in both facilities came forward, indicating their willingness to either reintegrate or voluntarily repatriate.
“Around 400 protesters from Wingfield and another 120 from Paint City communicated their preferences [last] week.
“Law enforcement authorities have opted to allow immigration and UNHCR officials time to complete their work and not disrupt them by moving in at the moment,” the department said.
The tents were taken down last Friday. – SAnews.gov.za
