Asylum seekers protest in Gqeberha
Refugee Reception Offices are effectively closed to new applicants, and the online renewal system is not working
Around 400 asylum seekers marched outside the refugee reception office in Gqeberha on Wednesday, demanding the offices reopen nationwide. Their grievances stemmed from a July 2026 Constitutional Court ruling allowing undocumented asylum seekers not to be deported, as they could not fully access the asylum system. For months, these offices had been shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
New applicants and those trying to renew permits now faced significant hurdles. The protest, organized by the Nelson Mandela University Refugee Rights Centre, targeted a 14-day deadline for office reopening. Many in attendance were from Ethiopia and Eritrea. One anonymous Ethiopian man explained that he could not renew his permit, preventing him from continuing his education.
Linton Harmse, the center's director, highlighted how asylum seekers face arrests and detentions, often unjustly, due to the Department of Home Affairs' failures. Expired permits led to job loss, frozen bank accounts, and terminated lease agreements. Tibebu Solomon, an Ethiopian resident since 2015, noted the drastic slowdown in permit renewals. Gqeberha Refugee Reception Office Manager Sabelo Ngxithu received the memorandum.
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