Press Statement | World Refugee Day 2026: Promise made to grant protection

Date: 20/06/2026


Today, on World Refugee Day, we commemorate and honour the resilience of those who were forced to flee their homes.

 

Today, on World Refugee Day, we commemorate and honour the resilience of those who were forced to flee their homes. We note that it is seventy-five (75) years since the adoption of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a landmark international agreement born from the recognition that people fleeing persecution and any kind of violence deserve protection and are entitled to the right to dignity and equality wherever they find protection or are hosted. Anyone regardless of race, class creed nationality or sexual orientation.

The Convention materialized from one of humanity’s darkest chapters. It reflects a simple but profound principle: the principle of non-refoulment- which states that no one should be forced to return to a place where they will be subjected to danger, and those seeking safety should be treated with humanity, fairness and respect. This was in the context of World wars and the genocide that took place in Germany under the brutal regime of fascist Hitler.

South Africa has embraced these principles through its ratification of international law, and the Constitution, which affirms the protection under the Bill of Rights, for all rights designated for all those who reside in the Republic.

The 2026 commemoration takes place against a heartbreaking and shocking backdrop. Across the country, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are facing renewed hostility, intimidation and threats all under the theme of fighting against illegal and undocumented migrants. Public calls for foreign nationals (‘undocumented migrants”) to leave country by 30 June 2026, is coupled with threats of consequences should they remain. A date that is not just unlawful and should be denounced by the State, but one that targets predominantly Black African People from our African continent.

This day has to remind us that protection should not come from pity, but that it is a legal obligation the Republic has rectified and is bond by.

The responsibility for immigration management rests with the State acting in accordance with the Constitution and the law. The state has repeatedly stated that no private individual or group may assume that role, nor may any person be subjected to threats, collective punishment, violence or discrimination on the basis of nationality, language, ethnicity or perceived foreignness. Yet these unlawful acts continue with impunity as law enforcement stands by, by default making the SAPS and law enforcement in general complicit in these unlawful acts.

As we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, we call on all spheres of government to reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to combating xenophobia and to give meaningful effect to the National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. Commitments on paper must be translated into concrete measures that protect lives, prevent violence and strengthen social cohesion.

This month also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 student uprising, when the state brutally short down students. It is the shedding of this blood that resulted in the democratic dispensation that we enjoy today. In a tribute to these young people who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, we call for peace in South Africa and for the State to act decisively against those perpetrators of hatred and violence.

Thank you for joining
Thank you for joining the LHR Newsletter, we will be in touch soon