SA Migration International

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Home Affairs to open refugee office in Maitland

Source: Goundup, 26/01/2019

Home Affairs decided in 2012 to stop processing new applicants at the
Cape Town Refugee Reception Office.
In a judgment on 30 August 2012, the Western Cape High Court ordered
Cape Town Home Affairs to start serving new applicants again. The
judge said the cost to Home Affairs of assisting newcomers was
negligible compared to the harm done to them.
He said that delaying implementation of the court order would cause
grievous harm to asylum seekers. While undocumented, they would be
subject to arrest and deportation.
But the office was not re-opened. The LRC took Home Affairs to court
on behalf of the Scalabrini Centre and the Somali Association, and in
September 2017 the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that Home Affairs
must â€œreopen and maintain a fully functional refugee reception office
in or around the Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, by Friday 31
March 2018.â€ Home Affairs sought leave to appeal from the
Constitutional Court but this was refused. This means the SCA ruling
is final.
Asked to confirm the opening of the new office in Maitland, a Home
Affairs spokesperson referred GroundUp to the Department of Public
Works. Contacted on 21 January, Public Works spokesperson Lunga
Mahlangu promised to respond but had not done so at the time of
publication.

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