South Africa suspends asylum applications amid protests — France 24

In South Africa, authorities have temporarily suspended the acceptance of applications for refugee status and asylum.

Court ruling

Tensions in South Africa intensified after a court ruling. It prompted the government to open the application system to all foreign nationals regardless of their legal status in the country.

At the same time, access to the application system does not mean automatic approval of applications. As France 24 reports, each application still requires approval.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Protests near offices

Following the court ruling, anti-immigrant protests took place near several offices of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Because of them, authorities temporarily suspended procedures related to applications for refugee status and asylum.

France 24 published a video report on the situation on October 13, 2026. It was prepared by journalist Eunice Masson.