Scrapyard set alight amid protests over Durban refugee centre

A scrapyard has been set alight, allegedly by a group of disgruntled protesters opposed to the processing of asylum applications at the Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre in Durban.

The scrapyard, reportedly operated by a foreign national, is located opposite the Home Affairs centre, which has since closed for the day.

The crowd has been dispersed by a heavy police force who remain visible in the area.

Video: Durban Home Affairs’ Refugee Reception Centre halts operations Meanwhile, some concerned community members who support the demonstration say the situation could have been prevented if immigration laws were stricter and citizens felt prioritised.

“We came here to show our pain.

Everyone is coming in South Africa.

What shocked me today, especially around this area in this office at Home Affairs things are delaying for South Africans.

But things seem to be getting quickly done for people who are coming outside and that is what we are fighting for and the government failed us,” says one of the protesters.

“We’ve been doing so many marches that have been happening throughout the country and complaining about how the government treats us as citizens.

The problem starts here, you cannot allow people who enter into your house wrongly and give them a permit, because you can’t even tell us how many of these people are here.

Here in this office in Durban the queue was starting up the road, I think they were thousands and thousands of them,” says another protester.

Video: Protests over asylum application processing at Durban Home Affairs’ Refugee Reception Centre