South Africa's Top Court Bars Repeat Asylum Applications
South Africa's Constitutional Court has ruled that asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected cannot lodge fresh claims on the same grounds. The government says the judgment will ease pressure on the system, while human rights groups have raised concerns.
South Africa's Constitutional Court has ruled that asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected cannot file fresh applications on the same grounds. The judgment is described as a major step in the government's long-running effort to reduce backlogs in the asylum system.
South Africa receives one of the largest volumes of asylum applications in sub-Saharan Africa. According to figures from the Department of Home Affairs, annual applications have run into the hundreds of thousands in recent years. The ministry says the ruling will improve procedural efficiency and prevent the re-filing of rejected claims.
Human rights organisations cautioned that the decision could make it harder for applicants whose circumstances change to be properly reassessed. The UN refugee agency UNHCR said it would issue further guidance on implementation; the judgment now awaits implementation rules from the Department of Home Affairs.
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