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2013 UNHCR country operations profile - South Africa

Working environment

The context

By the end of 2011, some 220,000 asylum-seekers mainly from Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Somalia and Zimbabwe were registered in South Africa. The country continues to be the recipient of the highest annual number of asylum applications worldwide, with 106,904 applications in 2011. However, this figure represents a 64 per cent reduction in comparison with 2010, the first such decline in four years. The reduction may be attributed to a number of factors, including a more stable political and socio-economic situation in Zimbabwe and the imposition of restrictive measures by countries in the subregion and beyond to reduce mixed-migration movements.

Although the asylum and immigration system remains conducive to the reception of asylum-seekers and refugees, the relevant legal framework is currently undergoing reforms. This has made access to asylum challenging, particularly for individuals from non-neighbouring countries, who may be denied refuge in South Africa on the basis of the "first country of asylum" policy. Tighter border controls, implemented to reduce irregular movements and fraudulent asylum claims by immigrants, have also played a role in lessening the number of applications.

As of December 2011, some 63,000 people, mainly from Angola, Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda and Somalia, had been recognized as refugees in South Africa. They have been granted freedom of movement, permission to work and the right to access basic social services through grants. However, documentation problems have made it difficult for refugees to enjoy these rights fully.

The needs

The South African asylum system continues to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of asylum applications it receives, making it difficult to ensure that the refugee status determination (RSD) process is always fair and efficient. Hence, supporting the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to improve the quality and quantity of its status decisions remains a priority for UNHCR.

Furthermore, refugees with disabilities, the elderly and children in foster care who qualify for government grants face obstacles in obtaining them. Refugees often receive documents valid only for short periods, making it difficult for them to hold long-term jobs.

Recurrent xenophobic attacks on refugees hampers their integration into local communities. Indeed, fear of attack in the townships forces many refugees to live in more expensive inner-city areas. Accommodation in shelters is temporary and only available for the most vulnerable. UNHCR will continue to increase resettlement submissions from South Africa, particularly for refugees with vulnerabilities that cannot be addressed in the country.

UNHCR 2013 planning figures for South Africa
TYPE OF POPULATION ORIGIN JAN 2013 DEC 2013
TOTAL IN COUNTRY OF WHOM ASSISTED
BY UNHCR
TOTAL IN COUNTRY OF WHOM ASSISTED
BY UNHCR
Total 480,520 94,350 565,520 103,090
Refugees Angola 5,810 1,300 5,810 1,300
DRC 16,970 2,630 18,970 2,760
Somalia 26,190 5,000 29,190 5,250
Various 35,550 3,720 40,550 3,910
Asylum-seekers Ethiopia 25,000 4,860 20,000 5,350
Malawi 20,000 5,510 10,000 6,060
Zimbabwe 261,000 50,830 361,000 55,910
Various 90,000 20,500 80,000 22,550

Main objectives and targets for 2013

Favourable protection environment

Access to legal assistance and legal remedies is improved.

  • Legal services and clinics are established in each of the nine provinces of the country.

  • Some 80,000 persons of concern receive legal assistance.

Basic needs and essential services

Shelter and infrastructure are established, improved and maintained.

  • Three-month transitional shelter grants are provided to 25,000 individuals and families.

Community empowerment and self-reliance

Self-reliance and livelihoods are improved.

  • Some 2,000 people receive conditional grants to start businesses.

  • Some 2,000 people receive guidance on business market opportunities.

The quality of registration and profiling is improved or maintained.

  • All registration staff receive training on gathering information and compiling statistics.

The risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is reduced and the quality of the response to it improved.

  • Some 1,000 SGBV survivors receive legal representation, accommodation in safe houses, counselling, medical aid and grants to establish businesses.

  • Some 30 training sessions on SGBV prevention and response are conducted.

Strategy and activities in 2013

UNHCR will advocate for the asylum space established in South Africa to be maintained, allowing both refugees and asylum-seekers to work and study. In view of challenges related to registration and data management, UNHCR will work with the DHA to review the latter's registration and data management systems in order to identify gaps and find solutions.

Activities that promote self-reliance and ease local integration will receive strong UNHCR support. The Office will also continue to provide short-term material assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers with specific needs and help implementing partners to integrate such cases into national and charitable social-service programmes. In addition, UNHCR will create and maintain capacity within the community to respond to SGBV. Public-information materials and tools aimed at promoting tolerance and coexistence will continue to be produced, and resettlement will be used as a protection tool.

UNHCR will advocate for the adoption of the international conventions on statelessness and for national legislation to be made consistent with them. It will also increase efforts to identify stateless people in the region and the root causes of their predicament. Moreover, effective responses to prevent and reduce statelessness will be developed. UNHCR will team up with other UN agencies, civil society and academia to train key stakeholders in order to prevent statelessness and support legal partners working on individual cases of statelessness.

Constraints

Despite favourable protection policies, implementation of refugees' rights remains a challenge. The imposition of the principle of "first country of asylum" continues to reduce the rights of asylum-seekers.

Furthermore, the lack of employment opportunities for nationals causes tensions between them and refugees, limiting the latter's self-reliance and local-integration opportunities and often making them victims of xenophobic attacks.

Organization and implementation

The Regional Representation in South Africa provides strategic and policy direction, regional coordination, management oversight and technical support to the country operations in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. UNHCR South Africa has field offices in Cape Town and Musina. The Pretoria office is directly responsible for UNHCR's programmes and activities in South Africa as well as in Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Swaziland.

Coordination

In South Africa, UNHCR will continue its collaboration with relevant government departments and parliamentary committees. Regular consultations with the DHA at all levels help to build mutual trust and a good working relationship. UNHCR will support the DHA with technical advice, and work closely with the Department of Social Development and relevant NGOs on social assistance.

Cooperation with IOM will improve logistical support for refugees in resettlement and voluntary repatriation programmes.

UNHCR will collaborate closely with other UN agencies through the UN Communications Group, UN HIV and AIDS Theme Group and the United Nations Strategic Cooperation Framework process. Furthermore, as the lead agency for the Protection Working Group (PWG), UNHCR will coordinate protection monitoring and common advocacy and media approaches on key protection issues, joint outreach and resource mobilization.

Financial information

The level of funding for the South Africa operation has remained relatively unchanged over the last two years despite growing needs in the areas of social support, legal assistance and response to xenophobia. In 2013, the emphasis will be placed on supporting the DHA to improve the quality and quantity of RSD decisions as well as on programmes to promote tolerance and co-existence to enhance local integration and self-reliance. As a result, the budget for 2013 will total USD 37.4 million, slightly more than the 2012 budget of USD 35.1 million.

Source: UNHCR Global Appeal 2013 Update

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Statistical Snapshot*
* As at January 2012
  1. Country or territory of asylum or residence. In the absence of Government estimates, UNHCR has estimated the refugee population in most industrialized countries based on 10 years of asylum-seekers recognition.
  2. Persons recognized as refugees under the 1951 UN Convention/1967 Protocol, the 1969 OAU Convention, in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, persons granted a complementary form of protection and those granted temporary protection. It also includes persons in a refugee-like situation whose status has not yet been verified.
  3. Persons whose application for asylum or refugee status is pending at any stage in the procedure.
  4. Refugees who have returned to their place of origin during the calendar year. Source: Country of origin and asylum.
  5. Persons who are displaced within their country and to whom UNHCR extends protection and/or assistance. It also includes persons who are in an IDP-like situation.
  6. IDPs protected/assisted by UNHCR who have returned to their place of origin during the calendar year.
  7. Refers to persons who are not considered nationals by any country under the operation of its laws.
  8. Persons of concern to UNHCR not included in the previous columns but to whom UNHCR extends protection and/or assistance.
  9. The category of people in a refugee-like situation is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained.
The data are generally provided by Governments, based on their own definitions and methods of data collection.
A dash (-) indicates that the value is zero, not available or not applicable.

Source: UNHCR/Governments.
Compiled by: UNHCR, FICSS.
Residing in South Africa [1]
Refugees [2] 57,899
Asylum Seekers [3]
More info 219,368
Asylum-seekers (pending cases) refers to an estimated 63,000 undecided cases at first instance and 156,400 undecided cases on appeal.
Returned Refugees [4] 0
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) [5] 0
Returned IDPs [6] 0
Stateless Persons [7] 0
Various [8] 0
Total Population of Concern 277,267
Originating from South Africa [1]
Refugees [2] 429
Asylum Seekers [3] 160
Returned Refugees [4] 0
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) [5] 0
Returned IDPs [6] 0
Various [8] 0
Total Population of Concern 589
Government Contributions to UNHCR
2011 Contributions Breakdown
Total contribution in USD: 610,288 [rank: 30]
Total contribution in currency: 562,563 CHF
Donor ranking per GDP: 35
Donor ranking per capita: 38
2011 Contributions chart
Contributions since 2000
YearUSD
2012
More info 275,005
As at 31 December 2012
2011
More info 610,288
Total contribution in USD: 610,288 [rank: 30]
Total contribution in currency: 562,563 CHF
Donor ranking per GDP: 35
Donor ranking per capita: 38
2010
More info 178,909
Total contribution in USD: 178,909 (rank: 36)
Total contribution in currency: 184,449 CHF
Donor ranking per GDP: 43
Donor ranking per capita: 47
2009 0
2008
More info 145,985
Total contribution in USD: 145,985 (rank: 37)
Total contribution in currency: 1,000,000 (ZAR)
Unrestricted contribution (USD): -
Donor ranking per GDP: 40
Donor ranking per capita: 41
2007
More info 268,033
Total contribution in USD: 268,033 (rank: 38)
Total contribution in currency: 327,000 (CHF)
Unrestricted contribution (USD): -
Donor ranking per GDP: 41
Donor ranking per capita: 42
2006
More info 462,506
Total contribution in USD: 462,506 (rank: 49)
Total contribution in currency: 589,360 (CHF)
Unrestricted contribution (USD): -
Donor ranking per GDP: 31
Donor ranking per capita: 34
2005
More info 382,413
USD 382,413 of which USD 168,462 (44%) earmarked at the subregional level, USD 92,654 (24%) earmarked at the country level and USD 121,297 (32%) affectés au niveau sectoriel / thématique.
2004
More info 260,006
USD 260,006 of which USD 146,719 (56%) was earmarked at the subregional level and USD 113,287 (44%) earmarked at the country level.
2003
More info 157,861
USD 157,861 of which was 100% earmarked at the subregional level.
2002 63,472
2001
More info 400,186
USD 400,186 of which 100% earmarked.
2000
More info 502,873
USD 502,873 of which 287,356 (57%) unrestricted and 215,517 (43%) earmarked.

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2013 UNHCR partners in South Africa
Implementing partners
NGOs: Agency for Refugee Education, Skills, Training & Advocacy; Cape Town Refugee Centre; El Shaddai Church; Jesuit Refugee Services; Lawyers for Human Rights; Refugee Aid Organization; Refugee Social Services; Sediba Hope; Sonke Gender Justice; Unit for Social Behaviour Studies
Others: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University; University of Cape Town, Legal Clinic; University of South Africa, Unit for Social; Behaviour Studies
Operational partners
Government agencies: City councils of Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban; Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs; Department of Education; Department of Health; Department of Home Affairs; Department of Social Development; National Disaster Management Centre
NGOs: ICMC; IOM; RefugePoint
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