EXPLAINER: What to know about the refugee ruling that sparked riots in Durban and Soweto

Violent protests erupted in Durban and Johannesburg this week following misinformation about a Home Affairs directive on processing asylum seekers. The protests were sparked by a Constitutional Court ruling in July that declared certain provisions of the Refugees Act unconstitutional, removing procedural barriers to lodging an asylum claim.

Home Affairs issued a directive to implement the court's ruling, which led to the violence in Durban and Soweto. The department has now withdrawn the directive and will create a new sustainable plan to meet the requirements set by the Constitutional Court.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.