Refugees struggle to renew papers at Home Affairs

Source: Groundup, 19/06/2017

Cape Town - 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 GroundUp reports.
Two weeks ago 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 couldnt 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.


Wait outside
Typically foreign nationals seeking to renew their papers are required
to wait outside. Between 08:00 and 08:30 an official collects their
papers and takes the paperwork inside. During the course of the day,
usually after 14:00 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.



Musead Yusuf who was one of those waiting for his documents to be
renewed got refugee status in 2006. He has travelled from Pretoria to
Cape Town four times.


Yusuf translated for another Somali who did not want to be named.
Yusuf said the man’s refugee status document was lost inside the Home
Affairs office on 1 May after officials collected their papers. When
he told the official this they let him inside and kept him there until
4pm at which point they told him to leave as they were closing the
offices and he should return the next day. When he objected security
removed him.


GroundUp saw a security officer manhandling a Somali man who wanted to
enter the offices because he had a query. “If refugees are not allowed
to go inside [the office] wouldnt it proper for security to then call
one of the officials to address queries [outside]?” asked the man who
was being manhandled.


Home Affairs spokesperson Thabo Mokgola said the department is
investigating Munims case and will give a response once the
investigation is complete.