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Flow of asylum seekers to South Africa grows in 2006
2 Feb 2007 Growing numbers of asylum seekers entered South Africa in 2006, with more than a third of applications coming from Zimbabweans. The number of new applicants for refugee status exceeded the government's stepped-up efforts to clear the backlog that had existed from previous years. -
UNHCR prepares for Swaziland to take over all refugee services
9 Oct 2006 Nearly 30 years after UNHCR opened an office in the tiny mountain kingdom of Swaziland to help people fleeing apartheid in South Africa, the UN agency is preparing for the country to take sole responsibility for all refugee services. -
Tension in South Africa as refugees and residents compete
12 Jul 2006 In a poor settlement near Johannesburg, competition between local and refugee traders triggered a demand for the expulsion of all Somali businessmen - one of a number of incidents of xenophobia that UNHCR, the government and other organisations are tackling in South Africa. -
South Africa tackles its growing backlog in asylum applications
6 Jul 2006 The South African government has launched a project to clear a backlog of some 100,000 asylum applications, the only major blot in an otherwise exemplary record of receiving refugees. -
South African government meets refugees, listens to their problems
29 Jun 2006 Senior members of the South African government have met directly with refugees and asylum seekers this week, listening to their problems and promising to overcome deficiencies in the asylum process. -
Congolese refugee helps Zimbabwe tackle medical crisis
27 Jun 2006 A Congolese refugee, who became a doctor after fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo and attending medical school in Zimbabwe with UNHCR assistance, is demonstrating to Zimbabweans the benefits that a refugee can bring to his host country. -
Cape Town issues groundbreaking declaration of rights for its refugees
21 Jun 2006 Cape Town, home to thousands of refugees, has issued a formal pledge to honour the legal rights that South Africa has promised to refugees. The coastal city also pledged to support their integration into local society. -
New book captures the voices and art of African child refugees
16 Jun 2006 A new book launched in South Africa ahead of World Refugee Day gives refugee children a chance to tell about their lives in pictures and words, stories of both trauma and hope. -
Congolese girl gives voice to the world's millions of child refugees
6 Jun 2006 Mariam Kwete brought a unique perspective to a recent UNICEF meeting in New York. She was the only refugee among almost two dozen children from around the world who were asked to contribute to a UN study on violence against children, which is due to be released in October.