South Africa plans to launch online booking for asylum seekers — Daily Maverick
In South Africa, the Department of Home Affairs plans to launch an online booking system for asylum seekers on November 10. After making a booking, they will be able to attend an in-person appointment at one of the refugee reception offices. According to Justice Minister Mamoloko Kubayi, the booking receipt should protect applicants from arrest or deportation until a final decision is made in their cases.
As Daily Maverick reports, assistance with registration will also be provided to people in police or immigration detention through officials, legal representatives and civil society partners. Kubayi said border guards, police and other law enforcement agencies will be informed that receipt holders should not be detained or deported for lacking legal status until their applications are finally considered.
Courts and closed offices
South Africa's asylum system had effectively been closed to new applicants since January 2020. This was linked to amendments to the Refugees Act that allowed immigration officials to turn away people without valid documents permitting them to stay in the country.
In September 2024, the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town secured a temporary ban on the deportation of people who declared their intention to apply for asylum, even if they did not have the relevant permit. On July 7, 2026, South Africa's Constitutional Court upheld a 2025 High Court ruling that found the new provisions unconstitutional because of the risk of returning people to danger in their countries of origin.
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On September 28, the Department of Home Affairs decided to comply with the court ruling and open refugee reception offices, which caused long queues in various parts of the country. In Durban, participants in anti-immigration protests, some of which were organized by March and March and Operation Dudula, harassed and attacked asylum seekers. About 25 people were charged in the case concerning violence in the city. The ministry later closed the offices again, citing “unforeseen consequences.”
Stories of asylum seekers
Brian, a Zimbabwean who asked for his surname not to be disclosed, said he arrived in South Africa in 2022, fleeing, according to him, torture and possible arrest over land seizures in Zimbabwe. In June 2026, he lost his job as a bartender in Gqeberha when his employer demanded a valid permit.
João from Mozambique said he left after political violence erupted following the October 2024 elections. After his visa-free 30-day period ended, he was unable to obtain asylum-seeker documents because the reception offices were closed. Sharon Ekambaram, a representative of Lawyers for Human Rights, said that all three people featured in the report, including a man from Somalia, have grounds to seek international protection.
According to UNHCR data, the number of recognized refugees in South Africa fell from 91,018 in 2016 to 55,177 in 2025. The number of asylum seekers decreased from 218,275 to 82,358 people over the same period.
