National Survey of the Refugee Reception and Status Determination System in South Africa

This report summarises data that was gathered over a period of eight months at five of South Africa’s permanent refugee reception offices (Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Port Elizabeth), as well as the satellite offices in Johannesburg and Durban that were set up as part of the Backlog Project.1 The data focuses on 1) asylum seeker experiences in accessing the reception offices and lodging their asylum claims, 2) their interactions inside the reception offices, and 3) the difficulties they experience as a result of the problems with access and service delivery. Applicants were asked a series of questions in the following areas:

• Experiences prior to lodging their claims.
• Interactions with refugee reception and status determination officers.
• Experiences obtaining documentation.
• Experience of the refugee status determination interview.
• Encounters with the police.

Findings

The survey reveals the key obstacles that asylum seekers experience in accessing refugee reception offices (RROs) and in lodging their claims. While the findings reflect on issues of efficiency, the report also explores the qualitative aspects of the reception process, as well as the broader implications of South Africa’s failure to receive all of the asylum seekers who arrive at its reception offices. The data both highlights the scope of these problems and pinpoints several failures to adhere to the law and respect asylum seeker rights. The survey results strongly suggest that a focus on efficiency alone can compromise the very purpose of the asylum system, which is to protect refugees.