South Africa Withdraws Asylum Orders After Massive Protest

South Africa has withdrawn a directive to asylum processing offices to accept applications regardless of how people entered the country, after anti-migrant protests turned violent in Durban and Johannesburg’s Soweto township.

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Police say 24 vehicles were torched and foreign-owned shops were looted. The protests centers on a court ruling that allows people seeking protection from persecution to apply for asylum even if they entered South Africa illegally or missed paperwork deadlines.

It does not automatically give them refugee status or permission to remain in the country and each application must still be assessed. The Department of Home Affairs, which handles immigration, said implementing the directive overwhelmed asylum offices, put staff at risk and raised public safety concerns.

The court ruling remains in force. The department said it will develop a new way to process applications while keeping its offices and surrounding communities safe.

South Africa has seen a wave of violent protests in which migrants from other parts of Africa who are in the country both legally and illegally have been targeted. #DWAfrica