Asylum seekers finding it tough

PERMITS: MOST TURNED AWAY, A FRACTION PROCESSED

People hoping to be allocated appointments, but there are huge backlogs.

The large number of foreign nationals applying for asylum permits at the under-resourced Port Elizabeth Refugee Reception Office means that many are being turned away without getting the permits.

The office was reopened to new asylum seekers last month. It followed years of legal action, public outcry, and civil society activism after it was closed in 2011.

The home affairs was ordered by the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2015 to reopen the facility. The new premises are now based in Sydenham.

When GroundUp visited the centre last Wednesday, hundreds of asylum seekers from Ethiopia and Burundi were jostling in long queues, hoping to either be served or to be allocated appointment times. The backlog for appointments is currently March 2019.

Chris Mapingure of the Zimbabwe Migrants Support Network said hundreds of applicants visit the office every day hoping to get permits. Most of them are turned away, he said, and only a fraction are processed.

“We are appealing to the department of home affairs to increase the number of people they assist daily,” Mapingure said.

“Many people are coming from far away places.”

A 26-year-old Burundian man who works in Cape Town as a gardener said last week that it was his second trip to Port Elizabeth in two weeks. He failed on both occasions to get even an appointment date, adding that he has spent about R1 500 on transport and accommodation.

A Zimbabwean couple, who live in Cradock, about 250km from Port Elizabeth, got their appointment letters last Monday. They said they were glad but it took them three attempts. Their appointments are for March.

Another Zimbabwean woman was concerned because her passport was taken by officials. They, however, issued her with an appointment letter for February.

Home affairs spokesperson David Hlabane said capacity at reception offices across the country was planned based on several factors, including closest points of entry. But he said that the Pretoria and Musina offices, which have greater capacity, are receiving low volumes, while the majority of people are applying at the smallest Port Elizabeth centre.