SA Migration International

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Angolan former refugees exempted

Source: Times Live, 14/07/2017

Government brought brief relief to Angolan former refugees when it
granted a blanket exemption to those who qualified but would not
provide reasons why it was limited to a period of four years.

In a landmark decision made last month the Department of Home Affairs
awarded rights equivalent to permanent residency to 1227 Angolans �"
many of whom have been living in South Africa for nearly two decades �"
after the Western Cape High Court ruled in November that the minister
consider their applications to stay.

Department spokesperson David Hlabane said the minster considered the
special circumstances of each Angolan and the decision was made in
line with the Immigration Act.

The Immigration Act provides for exemption to be granted for a
specified or unspecified period Hlabane said.

The decision for four years is therefore in accordance with the act.
As to what happens after four years the department will make a
decision at an appropriate time.

Applicants without criminal records or pending police clearance
certificates were granted exemption until 2021 and 72% of the 1702 who
applied will now be entitled to all the rights of a South African
citizen except for voting.

Most of the applicants fled Angola in the late 1990s after civil war
broke out and came to South Africa seeking asylum‚ but in 2013 the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees declared Angola safe and
their refugee status was revoked.

Government then awarded the former refugees two-year cessation permits
which expired in 2015 leaving those who remained in SA
undocumented.

The decision by government not to grant indefinite residency to the
group has ensured that their future remains uncertain and has created
further anxiety among many of the former refugees including
47-year-old Abrantes Brito who fears for his childrens future.

We applied for [indefinite] permanent residency and thats what we
expected not four years said the businessman who has lived in Cape
Town with his wife and two children for 18 years.

“What is going to happen after that? Our children know nothing about
Angola. This is their home. They see their future here and we hope
they wont live their lives as refugees.

Miranda Madikane director of the Scalabrini migrant centre in Cape
Town said they welcomed the decision to grant applicants rights of
residency. However there was concern over the uncertainty they would
face again in 2021.

These applications were based on the long stay of these applicants and
their deep socioeconomic links to SA said Madikane.

We do not know the reason behind Home Affairs granting these
Applicants with permanent residency for only four years but we will
engage with the department and hope to understand the reasoning behind
this decision.

A data analysis by Scalabrini found a high rate of economic activity
among the applicants. Over 90% of adult applicants are employed and
nearly one in five own their own businesses. Nearly a quarter of
applicants also have South African partners and children.
-TimesLIVE

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