South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn its directive governing asylum applications after anti-immigration protests in Soweto and Durban escalated into violence, with at least 24 vehicles burned and foreign-owned businesses looted.
The directive followed a Constitutional Court judgment in July allowing asylum seekers to seek protection regardless of their method of entry into South Africa or whether they had missed immigration deadlines. But mounting pressure on refugee reception offices, fears for staff safety and concerns about public order led the department to reverse the measure.
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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi welcomed the decision, saying it opens the way for further consultation while preserving the court’s ruling. The judgment remains effective, and officials must continue to consider asylum applications on an individual basis. Police are investigating allegations of vandalism, assault and public violence as authorities monitor the potential for renewed unrest.
