BREAKING: Home Affairs withdraws asylum directive after violent protests

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Home Affairs has withdrawn its asylum directive following operational challenges, protests and violence reported in Durban and Soweto.

0 People queuing outside a Home Affairs branch. Image: File The Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs Tommy Makhode has withdrawn a directive issued by his office on 28 September regarding the processing of asylum seeker applications following the Constitutional Court’s judgment on 7 July in the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town matter.

This comes amid reports of protests and violence in parts of the country, particularly Soweto and Durban, on Thursday, 8 October.

Operations at several Home Affairs branches that process refugee and asylum seeker applications were disrupted by anti-illegal immigration groups calling for the directive to be withdrawn.

Members of March and March confronted asylum seekers outside Durban’s Che Guevara Road Home Affairs office, shouting: “You have taken our grandfather’s land.” https://t.co/vwosM1qBoJ📷: Xolile Mtembu#MarchandMarch #CheGuevaraRoad #AsylumSeekers #HomeAffairs pic.twitter.com/8cfXXXtL9L

The Department of Home Affairs said the directive was initially issued to all Refugee Reception Offices (RROs) as an operational measure to support the implementation of the court order. It said the directive was issued without reference to, or the knowledge of, the Minister of Home Affairs or any other political office-bearer.

The department said claims that the directive was politically motivated were therefore categorically untrue, adding that it stemmed from a Constitutional Court case that the department had opposed.

“However, the attempt to practically implement the judgement immediately led to serious consequences that could not have been foreseen in the Court order. This includes, amongst others, the fact that RRO operations were overwhelmed within a matter of days since the directive was issued, Home Affairs officials were placed at risk, and that serious threats to public safety and order had emerged,” the department said.

“With these new facts now at hand, the Department will embark on a fresh process to determine the most appropriate operational approach to ensure compliance with the Constitutional Court’s order. The Department reaffirms its respect for the judiciary and the rule of law, as well as its commitment to determine an operationally appropriate and sustainable method to comply with the order.”

Meanwhile, parts of Durban’s central business district came to a standstill on Thursday after several buildings housing shops owned by foreign nationals were set alight. Vehicles parked outside the buildings were also torched, while some shops were looted amid the protests.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said preliminary reports indicated that a group marching against gender-based violence (GBV) in the Durban CBD joined members of March and March at the Home Affairs offices on Che Guevara Road after completing their march.

Netshiunda said the group reportedly proceeded down Dr Pixley kaSeme Street towards the Home Affairs offices, where the anti-immigration group was demonstrating.

“Information at this stage suggests that as they were walking, one of them was allegedly assaulted by a foreign national and his leg was broken. It is not yet clear what sparked the alleged assault. The group became angry and violence erupted, resulting in the burning of at least 14 vehicles,” he said.

Police responded to the escalating violence and arrested three foreign nationals in connection with the alleged assault, Netshiunda said.

A lodge building and a warehouse were partially burnt, but the fires were extinguished, he added.

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