South Africa: Whether there was a policy to expel Rwandan refugees toward the end of 2003 or at the beginning of 2004
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 31 May 2004 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZAF42722.FE |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, South Africa: Whether there was a policy to expel Rwandan refugees toward the end of 2003 or at the beginning of 2004, 31 May 2004, ZAF42722.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/41501c770.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided during a 26 May 2004 telephone interview with a representative of the South African Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria. The representative indicated that there was no policy to expel Rwandan refugees at the beginning of 2004.
However, the representative said that Rwanda is considered a stable country, partly because of recent elections; therefore, the procedure to draft a policy to return Rwandans to their country has already begun. He explained that South Africa is in the process of negotiating a tripartite agreement with Rwanda and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that would allow for Rwandan refugees to be sent back to Rwanda.
During a 26 May 2004 telephone interview, a representative from the South African High Commission in Ottawa corroborated the information provided by the representative from the Department of Home Affairs.
A representative from the UNHCR Pretoria branch provided the following information during a 27 May 2004 telephone interview. The South African government has an unofficial policy to help Rwandan refugees who want to return to Rwanda, but there is no policy to deport them. The representative thinks that the unofficial policy concerning their voluntary return to Rwanda will continue to be used until the end of 2004. The representative also said that Rwanda and the UNHCR are currently negotiating an agreement to repatriate all Rwandan refugees.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection.
References
South Africa. 26 May 2004. Department of Home Affairs. Telephone interview with a representative.
South African High Commission, Ottawa. 26 May 2004. Telephone interview with a representative.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Pretoria. 27 May 2004. Telephone interview with a representative.
