GROUNDUP : Life as an asylum seeker in SA’s broken immigration system
For years seeking asylum has been near impossible. Facing xenophobia, arrest and deportation, three refugees, from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Somalia, describe the horrors they fled, and their plight in South Africa.
Three refugees from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Somalia share their harrowing experiences and the difficulties they face in South Africa's broken immigration system. Brian, who fled Zimbabwe in 2022, describes his life as a bartender in Gqeberha before being evicted due to xenophobic attitudes and threats from anti-immigrant groups.
He believes he qualifies for asylum due to the torture and arrest he faced in his home country, but the asylum process in South Africa is nearly impossible for those who do not have proper documents.
João, a teacher from Mozambique who fled political violence following the 2024 election, now works as a painter in Gqeberha alongside other fellow Mozambicans. He admits that the harassment of asylum seekers is related to the upcoming local government elections, a sentiment shared by the man from Somalia, who also fled to South Africa in 2024 after living in a Kenyan refugee camp for years.
Both asylum seekers express the challenges of living in South Africa, where the immigration system does not offer a clear path for those seeking refuge and protection from persecution.
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