South Africa: Refugees Removed from UN Building in Cape Town

The South African authorities moved in on asylum seekers camped outside the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) building on Wednesday morning, ending a standoff that began in early October.

An eviction order was issued on Wednesday, prompting around 100 members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to forcibly remove the protestors in and around St George’s Mall Whaldorf Arcade, where the UNHCR building is located.

The SAPS fired stun grenades and water cannon, using tear gas on those that refused to leave, and in one instance ripped a crying baby out of its mother’s arms.

Theresa, a mother from Burundi who had been part of the occupation said “They just pushed us and our babes out like we’re rubbish, I have a small child with me and they could’ve hurt us.  

“I just want my family to feel safe and we’re not safe here, South Africa is a bad place to stay in.  I want to leave”.

The police were met with cries of “this is xenophobia” and “you are killing us” by some of the 300 refugees and asylum seekers that were removed from the site.

SAPS’ Western Cape media liaison Brigadier Novela Potelwa released a statement confirming that 100 people had been arrested in the operation.

The sit-in began amid concerns over a rise xenophobic attacks against migrants that had come to live in South Africa.  

The violence prompted a state visit from Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari in early October, who sought reassurances from Ramaphosa that more would be done to quell tensions.