Judge rules against refugee centres

Judge Pierre Rabie said the country was in a crisis as result of the hundreds of thousands of unemployed illegal foreigners within its borders – a vast number of whom were asylum-seekers waiting for their applications to be processed, according to the Pretoria News. ‘I cannot imagine how these people can survive without turning to crime.’ The refugees had to wait months for their applications to be processed and were deemed illegal citizens while waiting. They could not work or study in SA during that time. The application was brought by seven Zimbabweans who said these practices went against the grain of the Refugees Act. The judge ordered the refugee reception offices in question must in future adhere to the provisions of the Refugees Act and process all asylum-seekers\' applications in a non-discriminatory and fair manner. He appointed a curator to assist asylum-seekers and to investigate whether the orders he had made were being implemented. Full Pretoria News report