City of Cape Town Law Enforcement officers removed removed refugees from the McKenzie Road Park on Sunday. Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA) City of Cape Town Law Enforcement officers removed removed refugees from the McKenzie Road Park on Sunday. Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it is not in a position to resettle or relocate protesting refugees to a third country.
UNHCR spokesperson Heinn Shin said the position was communicated to the protesters on several occasions.
“All refugees and asylum-seekers have equal access to UNHCR services, and preferential treatment is not afforded for any groups or individuals.
"Resettlement is an option for a very small percentage of displaced persons globally,” Shin said.
This followed Sunday and Monday’s removal of refugees from the Central Methodist Mission Church and Greenmarket Square, St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Roeland Street and from a park near Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) residences.
Shin said the UNHCR had been following the recent developments in the City with regard to the City’s implementation of its by-laws and the removal of protesters, following a high court’s interim order issued on 17 February 7.
“The UNHCR continues to urge the protesters to abide by the court decision and hopes for a peaceful resolution to the situation.
“The health and safety of women and children who have been among the protesters since October 2019 are of utmost concern to the UNHCR.”
Refugee Francine Kinabuidi, who yesterday was among fellow refugees gathered near Cape Town central police station said he was despondent.
“We are actually feeling very lonely about the UNHCR statement, because all our eyes were on the UNHCR as our last hope. That’s all I can say, because even the City of Cape Town has rejected us. So, we are on our own now. It’s really painful.
“I don’t have any words to describe how we feel,” Kinabuidi said.
Shin explained that South Africa was signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and was the primary protector of refugees and asylum-seekers in the country.
He said South Africa had laws and policies in place for the protection of refugee and asylum-seekers and had been safely hosting some 270 000 refugees and asylum-seekers from various countries of origin.
Police spokesperson Noloxiso Rwexana, referring to Monday’s removal of refugees from a park opposite CPUT into Tennant Street, District Six, said there were no arrests.
Meanwhile, portfolio committee on Home Affairs chairperson Bongani Bongo, has called for the immediate resolution of the situation involving the refugees.
“It is untenable that the situation continues to persist, despite numerous attempted interventions that have not yielded desirable results.
" We would like to urge refugees to comply with the laws of the country and with the by-laws of the City of Cape Town,” Bongo said.
Bongo said it was “unfortunate” that the refugees have persisted to undermine the laws of this country as a way of forcing the UNHCR to act in a way that is only satisfactory to them, despite information that it was unable to assist.
He said Home Affairs informed the committee that numerous interactions with the countries the refugees say they are willing to relocate to had been held, but that these countries were unwilling to assist.
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