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South Africa 
2012 UNHCR country operations profile - South Africa
Working environment
The context
In 2010, more asylum applications were lodged in South Africa than in any other country in the world. The trend continued in 2011, and the heavy demands on the asylum system have resulted in a backlog of more than 300,000 applications awaiting a decision. Most asylum applications in South Africa are from nationals of Burundi, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Somalia and Zimbabwe, but there are also some from citizens of China, India and other Asian countries. No let-up in the pressure on the asylum system is expected soon.
As of December 2010 some 58,000 people, mainly from Angola, the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda and Somalia, had been recognized as refugees in South Africa. They are allowed to work and to avail themselves of basic social services, but in practice it is difficult for them to do so because of problems in obtaining documentation. Competition between refugees and South African nationals for jobs, housing, business opportunities and social services has raised tensions, and aggravated xenophobic attitudes among some in the local community.
UNHCR and its implementing partners provide vulnerable refugees with some support, and advocate for their inclusion in national assistance programmes. For its part, the Government has tried to ease the pressure on the asylum system and make it more efficient. In 2010 it launched a regularization scheme for Zimbabwean nationals who possessed passports. This saw some 275,000 Zimbabweans apply for work, study or business permits. The scheme ended in July 2011, with the issuance of some permits still outstanding. During the process, it was clear that some of the Zimbabweans among the undocumented were at risk of statelessness, although the actual numbers could not be ascertained.
South Africa has ratified the international refugee instruments, and its national legislation embraces international standards of refugee protection. However, the relevant laws are in the process of being amended, and it is feared that some restrictive measures will be introduced.
The needs
The South African asylum system is mostly hampered by the sheer number of asylum applicants, which makes it difficult to ensure that the refugee status determination (RSD) process is always fair and efficient. Providing access to asylum procedures for unaccompanied and separated children remains a challenge, as does family reunification. UNHCR recognizes that overcoming these hurdles requires strong advocacy and technical support.
Refugees are vulnerable to the high levels of random crime that afflict South Africa, as well as sexual and gender-based violence, exploitation in the workplace and detention due to lack of proper documentation. Poor socio-economic conditions among host communities provide a breeding ground for xenophobia. Documents of limited validity compromise refugees' efforts to become self-reliant by making it hard for them to hold long-term jobs, while at the same time a law allowing refugees and asylum-seekers to have bank accounts is not being fully implemented.
Xenophobia in South Africa undermines refugees' local integration and the stability of their livelihoods. Due to fear of attacks in the townships, refugees prefer to live in more expensive inner-city areas. Accommodation in shelters is temporary and available only for the most vulnerable, often resulting in the separation of family members. Refugees have even been made homeless by urban renewal programmes as they have been forced to leave old buildings they were squatting, when these were deemed unsafe and demolished.
UNHCR continues to advocate for the strengthening of the legal, administrative and operational frameworks that benefit refugees and asylum-seekers in South Africa. With recurrent xenophobic attacks on refugees hampering their ability to make a living or integrate into local communities, UNHCR is increasing the number of resettlement submissions particularly for refugees with vulnerabilities that cannot be addressed in the country.
| UNHCR 2012-2013 planning figures for South Africa | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TYPE OF POPULATION | ORIGIN | JAN 2012 | DEC 2012 - JAN 2013 | DEC 2013 | |||
| TOTAL IN COUNTRY | OF WHOM ASSISTED BY UNHCR |
TOTAL IN COUNTRY | OF WHOM ASSISTED BY UNHCR |
TOTAL IN COUNTRY | OF WHOM ASSISTED BY UNHCR |
||
| Total | 413,040 | 85,910 | 480,520 | 94,360 | 565,520 | 103,100 | |
| [1] Asylum-seekers (pending cases) refers to an estimated 171,700 undecided cases at first instance at the end of 2009 (no update available). | |||||||
| Refugees | Angola | 5,810 | 1,300 | 5,810 | 1,300 | 5,810 | 1,300 |
| DRC | 12,970 | 2,390 | 16,970 | 2,630 | 18,970 | 2,760 | |
| Somalia | 23,190 | 4,550 | 26,190 | 5,000 | 29,190 | 5,250 | |
| Various | 29,550 | 3,390 | 35,550 | 3,720 | 40,550 | 3,910 | |
| Asylum-seekers [1] | Ethiopia | 27,000 | 4,420 | 25,000 | 4,860 | 20,000 | 5,350 |
| Malawi | 35,000 | 5,010 | 20,000 | 5,510 | 10,000 | 6,060 | |
| Various | 104,530 | 18,640 | 90,000 | 20,500 | 80,000 | 22,550 | |
| Zimbabwe | 175,000 | 46,210 | 261,000 | 50,830 | 361,000 | 55,910 | |
Main objectives and targets for 2012
Favourable protection environment
Access to legal assistance and legal remedies is improved
- Legal assistance and access to the justice system facilitated for 15,000 refugees in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Gauteng, Cape Town and Musina
Basic needs and services
The population has optimal access to education
- Advocacy conducted for access of 6,000 children to education
- Early childhood activities for 10,000 children are supported
- 20,000 children benefit from enrolment, uniform and scholastic-materials support
- Vocational training is facilitated for 2,000 youths
Shelter and infrastructure are established, improved and maintained
- Three-month shelter grants are provided to 25,000 individuals and families
- A pilot partnership project with the Government aimed at upgrading low cost accommodation for 25,000 beneficiaries is funded
Community empowerment and self-reliance
Peaceful co-existence with local communities promoted
- Activities to foster peaceful coexistence to cover 340,000 people
Self-reliance and livelihoods improved
- Support for the development of national self-reliance and livelihood strategy targeting 60,000 beneficiaries provided
- Advocacy and lobbying for access to labour market for 60,000 beneficiaries conducted
- English language and local language courses assistance provided to 20,000 beneficiaries
- Vocational skills training and technical training support provided to 10,000 beneficiaries
Strategy and activities in 2012
UNHCR will advocate for a favourable protection environment and support fair protection processes in a bid to ensure that refugees have access to basic services. The most vulnerable refugees will be given material support, while others will be helped to become self-reliant through vocational training and business grants. UNHCR's durable solutions strategy will focus on local integration, voluntary repatriation and the strategic use of resettlement.
In addition, UNHCR will assist the Department of Home Affairs with technical advice and training. It will also advocate for the preservation of the established asylum space, including the rights of both refugees and asylum-seekers to work and study in South Africa. English language courses, vocational training and small-business training and assistance will help refugees to become self-reliant and integrate locally in urban areas.
UNHCR's short-term material assistance to vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers will address their basic needs and allow implementing partners to integrate such cases into local charitable and government social-services programmes. The most vulnerable refugees will receive emergency assistance comprising shelter, food and medical referral. Efforts will be made to ensure that refugees have access to education and other assistance programmes.
In order to prevent xenophobic attacks, UNHCR will continue to commission the services of radio production companies to create messages promoting tolerance and coexistence. It will also engage in preventive action and advocacy through awareness campaigns, conflict resolution programmes and other community interventions to improve refugees' local-integration and self-reliance prospects. UNHCR will emphasize self-reliance as a stepping stone to local integration, and step up vocational training and provide more micro-grants to reduce the number of those who are dependent on emergency assistance.
Constraints
With xenophobia making it difficult for them to integrate locally or become self-reliant, many refugees survive on emergency food and accommodation assistance. For UNHCR, however, providing such assistance in urban areas is very costly, as temporary shelter is only available at commercial rates. Urban areas also present challenges when conducting outreach initiatives or implementing UNHCR's Urban Refugee Policy, mainly because refugees and asylum seekers are spread all over the urban landscape and living among the urban poor, who also may be in need of some kind of assistance.
Organization and implementation
The Regional Representation in South Africa provides strategic coordination, management oversight and technical support for the country operations in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Pretoria office is directly responsible for UNHCR's programmes and activities for persons of concern in South Africa, as well as in Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Swaziland. In addition to Pretoria, other UNHCR Offices (Field Offices) are located in Cape Town and Musina.
Coordination
UNHCR will continue to make it a priority to collaborate and hold regular consultations with government departments, in particular the Department of Home Affairs, as well as the authorities in provinces and cities hosting refugees and asylum-seekers. Cooperation with the Department of Social Development and NGOs will help identify problems and solutions in areas such as xenophobia, child protection, sexual and gender-based violence and local integration.
UNHCR continues to be the lead agency for the Protection Working Group (PWG), which began as an inter-agency response to xenophobic violence in 2008, and now includes Government agencies and civil society. The PWG serves to coordinate protection monitoring and participates in common advocacy and media approaches on key protection issues, outreach and resource mobilization in relation to refugees and asylum seekers within the context of xenophobic attacks. UNHCR will also work closely with the UN Country Team to promote its mandate to protect refugees within the broader UN context, as well as to benefit from combined resources.
Financial information
The level of funding available for the South Africa operation has remained relatively unchanged over the last five years, despite a dramatic increase during the same period in the number of people of concern and growing needs in areas such as prevention and response to xenophobia. The budget for South Africa more than doubled in 2010 in comparison to 2008 and 2009, and further increased by 52 per cent in 2011. Although there is a slight decrease in the needs for 2012 and 2013, the comprehensive budget has remained high, reflecting the increased needs.
Source: UNHCR Global Appeal 2012-2013
