The Department of Home Affairs has signed an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to eliminate delays and a backlog in decisions for asylum seekers. The start of the backlog coincides with the year 2008 when there was a global financial crisis. Currently it stands at more than 153 000. According to the Auditor-General of the department, if nothing changes, it would take 68 years to clear the backlog, without taking new cases. Currently in Cape Town, thousands of refugees are displaced after they fled their homes due to xenophobia fears. They have been relocated to 2 temporary sites – one in Bellville Paint City and the others at Wingfield Military site in Goodwood.
Latest