The Impact of Digitisation of Asylum Seeker Systems in South Africa: Challenges and Opportunities
Posted: 4 October, 2024 Filed under: Zekhethelo Cele | Tags: access to smartphones, anguage barriers, anti-migrant sentiments, asylum seeker, asylum seeker management system, Asylum Seeker Systems, digital illiteracy, online renewal system, Refugee Act, Refugee Visas, South Africa, technological literacy, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, user-friendly online application system 1 Comment
Author: Zekhethelo Cele
LLM Candidate, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
The South African asylum seeker management system has faced intense scrutiny in recent years, grappling with the challenges posed by an overwhelming number of applications. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has acknowledged its struggle to accommodate the influx, prompting various interventions from the international community, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), aimed at alleviating this crisis.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Refugee Reception Offices (RROs) were slow to reopen fully, leading to the introduction of an online application process. Initially, this system was designed to assist those already holding Temporary Asylum Seeker or Recognised Refugee Visas. However, it quickly became apparent that this shift created significant barriers for many in the refugee community. A substantial portion of visa holders lacked access to smartphones or the technological literacy required to navigate the online renewal system, leaving them vulnerable and frustrated.
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