South Africa Pulls Asylum Directive After Violent Protests Overwhelm Refugee Centres

South Africa Pulls Asylum Directive After Violent Protests Overwhelm Refugee Centres

The government withdrew a directive enforcing a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum processing following anti-immigrant violence in Durban and Soweto, leaving the refugee system in crisis.

· 1 min read ·
africamigrationhuman rights

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has withdrawn a directive on how it processes asylum applications, following violent anti-immigration protests in Durban and Soweto [258542]. The move comes as the government seeks a way to carry out a Constitutional Court ruling without raising tensions further [258542].

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber defended the withdrawal, citing safety concerns and overcrowded reception centres after the violent protests [258085]. He said the decision was necessary given the volatile situation on the ground [258086].

The Constitutional Court ruling, issued on 7 July 2026, concerns the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town case, which deals with how asylum applications are processed [257229]. The DHA has condemned false information circulating about the judgment [257229].

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration has warned that the court ruling has created serious problems for the country's refugee system, leading to massive backlogs and overwhelming refugee reception offices across the country [258101].

The government now faces the challenge of implementing the court's ruling while preventing further unrest, as tensions remain high over immigration issues in key urban areas [258542].

Sources

South Africa’s Refugee System Overwhelmed After Court Ruling #258101South Africa retreats on asylum ruling, citing safety fears #258085South Africa slams fake news on asylum court ruling #257229South Africa withdraws asylum directive after violence #258086South Africa Halts Asylum Rule After Violent Protests #258542

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