South Africa’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration says it will begin relocating refugee reception centres from inland areas to the country’s borders from December.
The announcement comes as thousands of asylum seekers queue outside Home Affairs offices across the country following the reopening of the asylum system to new applicants.
Inter-Ministerial Committee chairperson and Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi briefed the media after an urgent meeting of the committee on Wednesday night.
Kubayi says the relocation will be introduced in phases, with the aim of processing asylum applications closer to the country’s ports of entry.
“Refugee centres will be moved from inland to our border areas in a phased-in approach starting from December this year,” she said.
She says the move is intended to ensure that applications are processed in a more controlled manner and that asylum seekers do not travel further into the country before their applications have been assessed.
“Those that are rejected, they then turn back at the port of entry and they don’t come inland,” Kubayi said.
Applicants whose asylum or refugee status is approved will then be allowed to enter the country and proceed further inland.
The announcement follows the reopening of South Africa’s asylum system, which has prompted large numbers of people to visit Home Affairs offices to submit applications.