Scores of refugees who have been camping outside the offices of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHRC) in Tshwane for more than four years say they will not leave the area despite a court ruling for their eviction.
The high court in Pretoria recently ordered for the eviction of over 200 asylum seekers who had built makeshift structures outside UNHRC, ordering them to be bused to the Lindela repatriation centre in Krugersdorp where they will be housed for six months. The evictions were meant to have been completed by yesterday, however, the refugees refused to leave the pavement which has been their home since 2019. Some in the group were part of the Pretoria UNHCR protest in 2019 over xenophobia in SA.
Most of them fled their countries of origin due to socio-political tensions and the majority are from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while others come from Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan. They have been demanding to be transported to a third country.
In terms of the court order, they should have vacated the area by yesterday but in the afternoon they were still there going about their day while police simply looked on.
When the Sowetan team left the area, many were seen gathering around fire to prepare for supper.
Johnny Lowoso, 44, from DRC, has been living on the pavement since 2021 before his wife and two children joined him last year. He said the living conditions at Lindela were dire and medical care was not good.
He said most of them want to be taken to a country where they will be safe from xenophobia, "but it's not true that we want to be relocated to the United States or Europe".
“No, no, going back home is not an option because it is not safe. I can’t go back to what I am fleeing from, the situation is still bad. Most of us want to be repatriated to a third country but authorities said this is impossible," said Lowoso.
Both the department of home affairs and the UNHCR told them years back that their demand – to be taken to another country – was unrealistic. They were then taken to Lindela after an agreement was made between home affairs and the UNHCR in November 2019.
Asylum seekers in Tshwane defy court order
Refugees camp on pavement outside UNHRC office
Image: Supplied
Scores of refugees who have been camping outside the offices of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHRC) in Tshwane for more than four years say they will not leave the area despite a court ruling for their eviction.
The high court in Pretoria recently ordered for the eviction of over 200 asylum seekers who had built makeshift structures outside UNHRC, ordering them to be bused to the Lindela repatriation centre in Krugersdorp where they will be housed for six months. The evictions were meant to have been completed by yesterday, however, the refugees refused to leave the pavement which has been their home since 2019. Some in the group were part of the Pretoria UNHCR protest in 2019 over xenophobia in SA.
Most of them fled their countries of origin due to socio-political tensions and the majority are from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while others come from Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan. They have been demanding to be transported to a third country.
In terms of the court order, they should have vacated the area by yesterday but in the afternoon they were still there going about their day while police simply looked on.
When the Sowetan team left the area, many were seen gathering around fire to prepare for supper.
Johnny Lowoso, 44, from DRC, has been living on the pavement since 2021 before his wife and two children joined him last year. He said the living conditions at Lindela were dire and medical care was not good.
He said most of them want to be taken to a country where they will be safe from xenophobia, "but it's not true that we want to be relocated to the United States or Europe".
“No, no, going back home is not an option because it is not safe. I can’t go back to what I am fleeing from, the situation is still bad. Most of us want to be repatriated to a third country but authorities said this is impossible," said Lowoso.
Both the department of home affairs and the UNHCR told them years back that their demand – to be taken to another country – was unrealistic. They were then taken to Lindela after an agreement was made between home affairs and the UNHCR in November 2019.
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