Protection of the Rights of Ethiopian and DRC Refugees and Asylum Seekers: Examining the Role of South African NGOs (2005–2017)

Abstract

The South African asylum system has gone through a dynamic change over the last twenty years and NGOs have been a permanent feature of the system starting from the crafting of the Refugees Act. Over the last decade, the flow of asylum seekers has slowed, but the country still hosts a significant number of African and Asian asylum seekers and refugees. As a result of the many factors, asylum seekers and refugees face a multitude of challenges. Some of the challenges include inefficient public service, a corrupt system, xenophobia, and other challenges. NGOs have championed the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. This paper looks at the work that has been done by NGOs working in the protection of the rights of asylum seekers and refugees from 2005 to 2017, utilizing the case study of the 40 Ethiopian and 37 Democratic Republic of the Congo nationals residing in Johannesburg and Durban through interviews. The researcher collected additional primary data from selected NGOs and analyzed both data sets through descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that NGOs have their areas of speciality, and their roles has changed over the course of the 12 years from being cooperative with state actors to mostly a combative role to ensure and protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. Their effectiveness has also been impacted as a result, and litigation has not always been effective. Asylum seekers and refugees find
NGOs effective to a certain extent, but a significant number of them are not aware of NGOs or the work they do.