I got my asylum in Durban. Can I go to another Refugee Reception Office to renew it?

The long answer

Thank you for your letter asking if you can extend your asylum from a different Refugee Reception Office (RRO) than the Durban RRO where you got your asylum.

We quote advice from a person who has had experience of extending their asylum:

• Go to the same RRO where you got your asylum.

• Do this a week or two before it expires. If you leave it too close to expiry they will turn you away. If you go too long before expiry they will also turn you away.

• You should go early in the morning (e.g. 2am) to have a good chance of being served. The queues are long and they only take a certain number of people. Try to be in the first 50.

• Most of the people outside who offer you help are scam artists, so be careful.

• Once you are inside the process should work better. Your asylum papers will be taken from you. You might then have to wait a long time, but hopefully before the end of the day the renewed papers will be returned to you. There might be different queues for men and women. There might also be days set aside for people of your nationality.