Programme News
11 July 2014
(News)
Walk down most streets in Johannesburg and you will hear accents and languages from across this vast African continent.
Builders by the roadside waiting for work chatter away in the sweet sing-song rhythm of African Portuguese, waiters stand and gossip between orders employing the rolling Rs and whistles that mark out Shona, a language of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia.
Congolese, Somalis,...
8 July 2014
(News)
After a six-year legal battle, a girl born in South Africa to Cuban parents has a country she can call home.
Yesterday, the girl's mother said she was able to sleep again after the Pretoria High Court last week ruled that her daughter was a South African citizen, and that the Department of Home Affairs had acted unlawfully by not registering her as such.
The Cape Town family - with the help...
7 July 2014
(Press release)
Last week, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria set a precedent by declaring a six-year-old child a South African citizen
The child was born to Cuban parents who, due to Cuban law, were not able to pass their citizenship to their child. The court made the order in line with Section 2(2) of the South African Citizenship Act, 88 of 1995. This section guarantees citizenship to children...
7 July 2014
(News)
During phase two of the arms deal public hearings, who makes the allegations will prove to be just as important as the allegations themselves.
Intentionally or not, starting phase two of the Arms Procurement Commission’s inquiry on July 21 with evidence by the so-called “critics” of the arms deal will set them up as complainants in the matter.
Phase two will deal with...
7 July 2014
(News)
A recent court case highlights the necessity of aligning South Africa’s refugee policy and practice with education law to ensure the removal of obstacles to an education for asylum-seeking children in South Africa.
Lawyers for Human Rights and the Centre for Child Law recently brought an application to address the plight of eight minor children who fled the war-torn Democratic...
7 July 2014
(News)
Last week Frederick Ngubane’s application for citizenship was denied by the Department of Home Affairs. He remains in South Africa but lives as a stateless person. He told AAISHA DADI PATEL his story.
I like to practise playing the piano at St Albans Cathedral down the road. They know me there. There isn’t much else that I can do; it’s illegal to employ someone who is...
27 June 2014
(News)
The annual global trends report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) paints a very bleak picture.
The number of people forced to flee their homes across the world has exceeded 50‑million for the first time since World War II, an exponential rise that is stretching host countries and aid organisations to breaking point, according to figures released last week....
26 June 2014
(News)
Lawyers for Human Rights have been interviewed on SABC Newsroom about the violence witnessed at the Marabastad refugee reception office in Pretoria last week and outcome of a statelessness case.
23 June 2014
(News)
Treated like scum
As the world celebrated Refugee Day last week , security guards - employed by the Department of Home Affairs - sjambokked and pepper- sprayed asylum-seekers in Marabastad.
The department has stopped refugee reception offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth from registering new asylum claims. The only offices that take on new claims are in Marabastad, Durban, Musina...
9 June 2014
(News)
Patrick Bracher, Director Norton Rose Fulbright SA, expert guest was Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, head of the Refugee and Migrants Programme at Lawyers for Human Rights.
She spoke about recent amendments in the Immigration Act regulations, and in particular how these affect refugees. She will also discuss a case heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal recently dealing with related issues....