Immigration: refugee & asylum seekers’ rights

Many people from every corner of Africa make their way to South Africa, legally and illegally, in search of a better life and to escape political persecution, civil war and poverty. South Africa is ill-equipped to properly harbour such people economically, who find themselves extremely marginalised. They are subjected to racism and xenophobia, are poorly paid and, when papers are not in order, imprisoned alongside violent criminals in maximum security prisons. Mob violence in the winter of 2008 has driven thousands of immigrants in Cape Town, regardless of their legality, into refugee camps and shelters. PAHRO monitor such camps to ensure conditions meet international standards, and report on the Parliamentary process in trying to resolve this crisis. Click here to find out more about our legal services work