Immigration

How the UN in Cape Town deals with refugees: an insider’s account

Delphine Pedeboy interned with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) earlier this year. It was a frustrating experience, for her but even more so for the refugees she dealt with.

Delphine Pedeboy

Opinion | 13 May 2014

20 years later, Rwandans still struggling to reconcile

Rwandan Hutu cousins, Hakizimana and Kwizera (not their real names), aged 30 and 35, believe the 1994 genocide story is told in a partisan manner, and they say the reconciliation and unity policy is government imposed.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 11 April 2014

What immigrants think of SA elections

GroundUp reporter Tariro Washyinyira asked immigrants what they thought of the South African elections. Some did not want to say anything, but others gave fascinating perspectives. The views expressed by the people Washinyira interviewed, some of which are racist, obviously do not reflect of those of GroundUp or Washinyira.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 4 April 2014

Where is Sipho Ncube?

A 31-year-old Zimbabwean woman who resided in Maitland, Sipho Ncube, has been missing since 4 March 2014. She is believed to have gone to Hout Bay for a job interview. She never returned.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 28 March 2014

Ugandan woman abandoned in South Africa by the lover she met on Facebook

A 28-year-old Ugandan woman, Lydia Mutuwa, who came to South Africa hoping to get a job to look after her children and ailing mother, says her life has become even harder than the life she ran away from in her country of birth.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 18 March 2014

Struggling Zimbabwean author writes about the challenges of living and dying on the Cape Flats

39-year-old Zimbabwean Milton Jaure, also known as Rasmijah, is struggling to get financial support to publish his book of short stories and produce a documentary focusing on the challenges foreigners face when their loved ones die in South Africa.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 17 March 2014

Immigrants apparently unaware of new laws as government tightens up on permits

Immigrants in Cape Town might lose their livelihoods if the new regulations to the 2011 Immigration Amendment Act published in the Government Gazette on 14 February 2014 comes into effect.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 12 March 2014

Refugee facing arrest in Congo ordered to leave SA

A 47 year old Congo-Brazzaville man has been told to leave South Africa though there is a search warrant (avis de recherche) out for him in his own country.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 25 February 2014

Ugandan doctor, released by Home Affairs, thanks South African activists

Paul Semugoma is free and can live and work in South Africa. This followed a dramatic day of court action and negotiations between lawyers representing Semugoma and the Department of Home Affairs.

GroundUp Staff

News | 20 February 2014

Three suggestions to improve the lives of thousands of people in South Africa

It has become taboo in much of the world to discriminate against people because of their religion, skin colour or sex. Despite recent setbacks the same goes for sexual orientation. Gradually we are realising that these are arbitrary distinctions, at least when it comes to law and policy.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 18 February 2014

Rights organisations contest reasons for Home Affairs directive

Director General of Home Affairs, Mkuseli Apleni, has given reasons why no new asylum seekers will be accepted at the Refugee Reception Office (RRO) in Cape Town.

Tariro Washinyira and GroundUp staff

News | 14 February 2014

Home Affairs uses “sad and bad” court ruling against refugees

The hopes of thousands of asylum seekers in the Western Cape have been dashed by Director General (DG) of Home Affairs (DHA) Mkuseli Apleni.

Brent Meersman

News | 4 February 2014

Lawyer to Home Affairs: treatment of asylum seekers is irresponsible, hard-hearted, incompetent

Hundreds of asylum seekers who have been living in Cape Town for more than five years and have renewed their documents more than twelve times are now undocumented. They may lose their work. They no longer have access to health, education, and bank accounts. And they are vulnerable to arrest, detention and deportation.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 29 January 2014

Home Affairs violates court order - man arrested despite effort to be lawful

A 21-year-old Somali man, Ibrahim Abdulkhadir from Malmesbury, was turned away from the Cape Town Refugee Reception Offices (RRO) on 5 July 2012 and denied an opportunity to collect his asylum document and legalise his stay in the country.

Tariro Washinyira

Feature | 22 January 2014

Police detain Zimbabweans for over 15 days

Three Zimbabwean men were detained at Richmond Police Station for over 15 days for being in the country unlawfully. The police were apparently waiting upon Immigration Services of the Department of Home Affairs to deport the men.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 22 January 2014

Zimbabwean kids detained after being smuggled into SA

The parents and relatives of six Zimbabwean children and five adults have found themselves helpless after malaichas (their smugglers) were arrested for human trafficking.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 11 December 2013