Court orders Home Affairs to open a refugee office in Cape Town by March
The Department of Home Affairs has been ordered to open a refugee office in Cape Town by March 2018. On Friday, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled that the decision to close the office in 2012 was irrational and unlawful. In its judgment‚ the SCA said the department’s director-general had ignored relevant factors when deciding on the closure‚ adding that the level of demand for the office’s services — obvious from the backlog — must be considered. "He also failed to properly consider whether the Cape Town Refugee Reception Office was necessary for the purposes of the [Refugees] Act‚" the judgment said‚ adding that there was no merit in the department’s arguments about difficulties finding premises and the need for "substantial additional resources". The SCA also referred to the department’s international obligation to provide opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers to exercise their rights. Miranda Madikane‚ director of the Scalabrini Centre — which spearheaded the appeal...
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