Western Cape High Court acting Judge Alma de Wet has ordered that the Cape Town Refugee Reception Office be reopened after it was closed almost nine years ago, a report says.
According to IOL, the refugee office was closed in 2012, a development that meant that refugees could only apply for asylum in Pretoria, Durban, or Musina.
It was noted during that time that the situation unfairly penalised refugees in Cape Town.
In an order handed down on Tuesday, May 18, De Wet found that the Department of Home Affairs was in breach of a 2017 Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling, News24 reported.
De Wet ordered the department to file monthly reports that would be discussed by the Legal Resource Centre (LRC), De Wet, and the department.
“The reports must include details of office premises, an operational budget, personnel and computer infrastructure, as well as who is responsible for what, and timelines,” the report said.
The first meeting was scheduled for June 18.
The case was brought to court by the LCR, which represented the Scalabrini Centre and Somali Association for South Africa.
Picture: Twitter
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