refugees

OSCE Calls for Human Treatment of Migrants

Wednesday 24 June, 2015 - 11:04

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Europe has called for countries to treat migrants ‘humanely’, as the EU struggles to cope with tens of thousands of people arriving in rickety boats.

Head of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Michael Georg Link, points out that, "Ahead of World Refugee Day (20 June), we have to be aware of our responsibility to treat refugees and migrants humanely."

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UN: 60m People Fleeing Chaotic Lands

Wednesday 24 June, 2015 - 10:52

The United Nations (UN) says nearly 60 million people have been driven from their homes by war and persecution.

According to an annual report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, this is an unprecedented global exodus that has burdened fragile countries with waves of newcomers and littered deserts and seas with the bodies of those who died trying to reach safety.

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Global Peace Index Released

Wednesday 24 June, 2015 - 10:49

South Africa ranks 136 out of 162 countries in this year’s Global Peace Index (GPI) and 37 out of 44 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the index, the economic impact of containing and dealing with the consequences of South Africa’s levels of violence was estimated to cost the national economy US$66.7 billion in 2014.

Published by the global think tank, Institute for Economics and Peace, the index also finds that escalating civil strife and the consequent refugee crisis have been among the key drivers in increasing the cost of global violence containment.

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NGO: DHA Delays Issuing Special Permits

Wednesday 17 June, 2015 - 12:29

Zimbabwe Exiles Forum claims that hundreds of Zimbabweans living in South Africa do not have a special permit which allows them to legally work and study in the country.

While the organisation says it received several complaints about the lengthy waiting period, the Department is adamant that any problems reported are merely isolated incidents.

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Scalabrini Centre: English School Intern

Wednesday 6 May, 2015 - 11:17

The Scalabrini Centre offers development and welfare programmes to the migrant and local communities of Cape Town. In providing assistance, the organisation uses a holistic approach that considers all basic needs and human rights.

The Scalabrini Centre seeks to recruit an English School Intern, based in Cape Town.

This is a full-time, unpaid volunteer position requiring a six-month commitment starting this July.

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Adonis Musati Project: Fundraiser

Friday 27 March, 2015 - 11:44

The Adonis Musati Project (AMP) was named after a young Zimbabwean man who died of starvation on the streets of Cape Town while queuing to get his asylum papers. The project strives to empower marginalised refugees and migrants in South Africa through fostering sustainable support networks and encouraging personal development that achieves lasting change.

AMP seeks to appoint a part-time Fundraiser to further expand its existing institutional and private donor base. This position is based in Cape Town.

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Court Slams DHA Treatment of Refugees

Tuesday 3 March, 2015 - 10:50

The high court had harsh words for the department of home affairs because it took seven years to finalise an asylum application by a Congolese national who fled persecution in his homeland.

The court described as ‘deplorable’ the treatment of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) citizen, Christian Bolanga, who fled to South Africa in 2005.

Acting Judge Guido Penzhorn declared that Bolanga is a refugee entitled to asylum and ordered Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, to issue to Bolanga a written recognition of refugee status within 10 days.

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Rights Group Assists the Stateless

Tuesday 24 February, 2015 - 11:03

“The back of a police van is the only place that feels like home.”

This is the plight of a young man, Singejeje Adel, who has no family and no country that regards him as theirs and is stateless.

Adel, 23, was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania in 1992 and has never been recognised as a citizen of any country. His mother, his only known relative, died when he was 10 and left him with no documentation to prove his identity.

When he arrived in South Africa at the age of 16 he was quickly picked up by police for not having any documentation.

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ARESTA: Bookkeeper

Thursday 8 January, 2015 - 9:59

The Agency for Refugee Education, Skills Training & Advocacy (ARESTA) a nonprofit organisation and an Implementing Partner for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). ARESTA fulfils a practical empowerment role in educating and providing skills to refugees and asylum seekers, helping them to become self-reliant during their stay under the protection of the South African Government.

ARESTA seeks to appoint a Bookkeeper, based in Athlone, Cape Town.