Brief 7 : (un) intended consequences of the closure and relocation of South Africa's refugee reception offices to border areas

This policy brief comes in the wake of a raft of changes to South Africa’s asylum policy since 2011 which are said to be driven by national and human security concerns. It focuses on one among these - the closure of three Refugee Reception Offices (RROs) and the impending relocation of remaining RROs from urban areas to South Africa’s land borders - which points to a shrinking of the space for asylum seekers. The brief analyses the government’s rationale behind this shift and cautions against negative unintended consequences arising from this policy change. These relate to the human rights of asylum seekers, illegal migration, and the capacity of Home Affairs. By implying that the policy shifts might not achieve their desired results, it then recommends that the government re-thinks them and place emphasis on strengthening the implementation of the Refugees Act which, on paper, is regarded among the best in the world