Angolans granted reprieve to stay in SA

ANGOLANS who fled to South Africa during their country’s civil war, and whose refugee status ended after peace returned to Angola, have been granted a reprieve to help them stay on here.

Thousands of Angolans settled in South Africa during the 1990s and were granted refugee status. But with the end of the war in 2002, and a 2012 recommendation by the UN that their refugee status should end, many former refu- gees have been battling to stay on.

An order by the Western Cape High Court has given them hope they could become permanent residents. The order, granted on Thursday by Judge Pat Gamble, says the former refugees can apply to Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba to stay on under an exemption section of the Immigration Act.

According to the Scalabrini Centre, a refugee advocacy group which approached the court on behalf of the refu- gees, the application process is free. The order also says the former refugees cannot be arrested or deported for breaking immigration law while Home Affairs assesses their applications.

The news was met with relief by Angolans who feared having to move back to Angola.

“This is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said former refugee Fernando (not his real name), who works as a taxi driver.

“The decision makes it 50 percent easier than before for us to stay on, but we still have a mountain to climb.”

Fernando fled to South Africa in 1994 and made a life for himself here. He has two children, a 10-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, who are SA citizens.

He and other former refugees will now have to apply for permanent residency status with Home Affairs.

The department will consider all applications by February 15. The department must make its decisions by May 15.

jan.cronje@inl.co.za