Thokozile Mnguni
The asylum system is coming under growing pressure, with Parliament saying delays, court battles and weak systems are slowing the processing of applications.
The concerns emerged during a briefing to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on Tuesday, when MPs met the Department of Home Affairs and the Refugee Appeals Authority of South Africa over efforts to clear the asylum backlog.
Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane said the rising number of court cases linked to asylum applications is becoming a major concern. RAASA told MPs it handled 2 733 judicial review applications during the reporting period.
Chabane said legal processes must be respected, but warned that lengthy court action can delay final decisions and place additional strain on the system.
An estimated 250 000 forcibly displaced people are hosted, including between 67 000 and 75 000 recognised refugees, along with thousands of pending asylum seekers. Many come from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Zimbabwe.
MPs also raised concerns over duplicate applications, with some applicants applying through both immigration and asylum channels. The committee said outdated and fragmented systems are making it difficult to detect overlaps, while lawmakers further flagged challenges in tracking applicants who withdraw claims or fail to attend hearings.
The committee called for renewed engagement with the justice department and the judiciary, with MPs proposing specialised courts to deal with asylum-related matters more quickly. Retired judges could also be brought in to help reduce the backlog.
It also warned that the Home Affairs Inspectorate Unit remains severely under-resourced, weakening enforcement and monitoring efforts.
While welcoming progress in reducing backlogs, the committee said more reforms are urgently needed, and criticised delays in Home Affairs’ digital transformation projects, including stalled plans to digitise paper records and improve integrated systems.
The committee said it will hold further engagements on challenges facing the asylum and refugee system.