Home Affairs Minister commits to resolving refugee squatter situation in Cape Town

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber asserts that decisive action is needed to address the eviction of foreigners in Wingfield and Paint City, Bellville, Cape Town

Schreiber said this following his visit to the Cape Town Refugee Reception Office in Epping.

HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER PROVIDES UPDATE ON EVICTION OF REFUGEES

In 2019, hundreds of refugees were part of a group that had staged a protest outside the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. They refused to be reintegrated into local communities or to be sent back home. They said they would rather be settled in other countries such as Canada or the US where they felt they would be safer than they currently were. 

The South African previously reported that a total of 500 refugees, that included 200 children remained in Paint City in Bellville during the Covid-19 pandemic. They refused to return to South African communities and clung to a dream of being relocated to another country. 

In an interview with Cape Talk Schreiber confirmed that the City of Cape Town and his department will work together to launch a joint application to evict the refugees and asylum seekers currently in Paint City and Wingfield.

Schreiber said over the years, the Department of Home Affairs has offered alternative options such as repatriating or resettling and the refugees have blatantly refused. The department now feels it is time to take decisive action.

“Both the City of Cape Town and the Department of Home Affairs are suffering under this particular arrangement as it is not sustainable anymore, especially for the residents of these communities,” he said.

DEPARTMENT IS DEALING WITH THE BACKLOG OF ASYLUM APPLICATIONS

During the interview, Schreiber said they’re also looking at ways to accelerate asylum applications for those who submitted the applications as there is a massive backlog.

“No one can claim that they have not been offered a reasonable alternative. Therefore, using those precedents that I’m referring to, there really is no alternative than to say they should vacate these sites or reintegrate or alternatively have their asylum applications dealt with,” Schreiber said.

Additionally, Schreiber emphasised that South Africa does not have massive refugees camps or facilities to keep people away from communities.

“South Africa does not decide which countries must accept refugees that have come to South Africa. It is only third countries who can make decisions about that and quite clearly for the last five years that has not materialised,” he added.