POLL | Did home affairs make the right call by withdrawing the asylum directive?

After a wave of violent anti-illegal immigrant protests, the department of home affairs has withdrawn a directive issued on September 28 regarding the processing of asylum applications.

The initial directive instructed refugee reception offices to accept asylum applications from all foreign nationals, including those who entered the country illegally. This directive was issued to comply with a July Constitutional Court judgment that declared key sections of the Refugees Act unconstitutional and invalid.

However, the directive led to overwhelming queues at home affairs offices and triggered violent protests in several regions, including Durban and Soweto, where protesters torched vehicles and blocked roads.

After that the directive was withdrawn because “home affairs officials were placed at risk, and serious threats to public safety and order had emerged”, home affairs deputy director-general Thulani Mavuso said.

The withdrawal has drawn mixed reactions; while many South Africans welcomed the decision, foreign nationals expressed deep disappointment and concern about their legal status.

Mavuso added that the department will embark on a fresh process to determine the most appropriate operational approach to comply with the Constitutional Court’s order while ensuring public safety.