Group attempts to disrupt asylum applications at EC Home Affairs

A group of individuals gathered outside the Gqeberha Home Affairs refugee office in the Eastern Cape province to disrupt the application process of asylum seekers. This action follows the Constitutional Court's ruling that invalidated certain parts of the Refugees Act, which previously required asylum seekers to demonstrate good cause or possess a transit visa to enter South Africa.

The asylum seekers, who claim to have fled their countries due to internal conflicts and wars, argue that the court's decision grants them the right to apply for permits. However, some South Africans are dissatisfied with the ruling and have protested outside the office, expressing their disappointment that the government is now assisting asylum seekers rather than deporting illegal immigrants.

Tensions escalated as police employed stun grenades to disperse around 30 protesters who had gathered outside the office earlier on Thursday. One protester, Khaliphile Mbanyane, expressed frustration, stating that the government had once promised to assist South Africans in removing illegal immigrants but now, the Constitutional Court has turned its back on South African citizens by ruling in favor of asylum seekers.