Refugee Sit-In Continues in Cape Town

Foreign nationals have been camping outside the UN High Commission for Refugees’ (UNHCR) office in Cape Town, demanding they are given refugee status and relocated from the country.

The protest began on 8th October in response to a sudden spike in the number of xenophobic attacks targeting foreigners in South Africa.

The violence triggered a state visit from Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari earlier this month, in which he discussed possible options with the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

A large part of the violence has targeted Nigerians and Nigerian-owned businesses in the country, prompting the Nigerian government to repatriate around 500 people.

The UNHCR has said it is working closely with the South African government to try and find a resolution to the problem.

The man in charge of the commission, Filippo Grandi, visited South Africa last week to meet with Ramaphosa and Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to discuss the issue of refugees and asylum seekers.

Grandi went on to meet some of those looking for refugee status in Pretoria and Johannesburg, many of whom raised concerns over the time it takes to go through the asylum process.