South Africa Withdraws Asylum Directive After Violent Protests

The Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn a September 28 directive concerning the processing of asylum seeker applications. The measure was originally issued by the director-general’s office to implement a July 7 Constitutional Court ruling in the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town matter, which prohibited the detention, deportation, or barring of asylum seekers based on procedural immigration errors.

Department spokesperson Thulani Mavuso stated the directive was a purely operational measure issued without the knowledge of the Minister of Home Affairs. The department rescinded the order after refugee reception offices became overwhelmed and officials faced safety risks. The directive coincided with violent protests in Durban and Soweto, where vehicles were torched.

Following the withdrawal, the department announced it will begin a new process to establish a sustainable operational method to comply with the court's binding judgment. Mavuso denied that the decision to withdraw was politically motivated, noting that the department had originally opposed the Constitutional Court case.