South Africa: Refugees Struggle to Renew Papers At Home Affairs

Source: GroundUp (Cape Town, 15/12/2016

A number of refugees from Somalia say they keep getting turned away at
the Customs House foreshore offices of Home Affairs when trying to
renew their documents. This after they had travelled all the way from
Pretoria since Home Affairs only allows people to renew their
documents at the place they first applied for refugee status in South
Africa.Asylum seekers from Somalia face unexplained delays and shabby
treatment at the foreshore office


A number of refugees from Somalia say they keep getting turned away at
the Customs House foreshore offices of Home Affairs when trying to
renew their documents. This after they had travelled all the way from
Pretoria, since Home Affairs only allows people to renew their
documents at the place they first applied for refugee status in South
Africa.


Last week GroundUp met Abdullahi Mumin and a group of Somalis outside
the Home Affairs offices. Mumin received refugee status in 2007 and
renews every four years. He said this time it was their fourth visit
in a month trying to renew his documents. He had been to the offices
on 1 May told to return on 25 May which he did only to be told to
return on 1 June only to be told yet again to return on 9 June. On 9
June he was told to return on 13 June. Each time officials would
scribble the return date on the permit. Mumin now plans to engage a
lawyer.


Mumin has a shop to run in Pretoria and the trips to Cape Town cost
him business. He said he could not go back without valid documents
because in Pretoria police demanded bribes. His refugee status expired
on 31 April.


If I refuse to pay they would keep me in a [police] cell for more than
three days just to spite me he said.
Home Affairs offices open at 8am but refugees and asylum seekers have
learned to start queuing at 6am if they hope to be helped. There are
queues for asylum seekers documents renewal refugees status documents
renewal ID and passport applications. Typically foreign nationals
seeking to renew their papers are required to wait outside.


Between 8 and 8:30am an official collects their papers and takes the
paperwork inside. During the course of the day usually after 2pm
someone from Home Affairs will emerge and call the person. They then
find out what the outcome of their application is. Parents or
guardians have to bring their minor children as their documents cannot
be renewed in their absence. Sometimes women form their own queue and
sometimes they are served first.