Refugee Centre Cape Town

http://www.pmg.org.za/node/29273

QUESTION 924 / NW1042E

DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 18 March 2011

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 8 of 2011
Mrs A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:



(1)        Whether, with reference to a certain judgement (details furnished), her Department has applied to have the land use restrictions applicable to erven 24150, 24151 and 24165, Cape Town, amended in order to permit the lawful operation of the office at the premises; if not, what arrangement has been made to move the Refugee Centre to alternative premises; if so, what was the (a) status and (b) outcome of the application;



(2)        whether the minimum requirement of 90 on-site staff (excluding interns), dedicated to administrative work of the centre, as required by the judgement, has been achieved; if not, (a) why not and (b) when is it anticipated that this will be achieved; if so, (i) how many dedicated administrative staff are employed at the centre and (ii) when was the minimum requirement of 90 on-site staff achieved;



(3)        whether the Centre has continued to operate; if not, why not; if so, how many refugees (a) attend the centre and (b) have their applications processed on a daily basis;



(4)        what is the number of toilets (a) which has been determined by the Medical Officer of Health of the City of Cape Town as being appropriate for the Centre and (b) currently available to refugees attending the Centre;



(5)        what measures have been put in place to prevent refugees from
(a) sleeping on the street outside the Centre, (b) being forced to attend the Centre on repeated occasions without any guarantee of their applications being processed and (c) continuing to be considered illegal immigrants despite repeated attempts to apply for permits?

NW1042E

REPLY:

(1)(a)&(b)       Yes, through the Department of Public Works (DPW). As an application for rezoning will take up to twelve months, or more to finalise, and would be in contravention of the judgement which, only, allowed for a two months period, the DPW resorted to exploring possible alternative sites for the Cape Town Refugee Reception Office (CTRRO). The latest process comprised an open advert call for proposals, which was done through the printed media (Cape Times and Cape Argus). Subsequently, applicants were invited for presentations, and, currently, the DPW is engaged in the short-listing process.



(2)(a)             No. The requirement has not been achieved, as the minimum of 90 on-site staff was proposed by the Court. The basis for this number has not been shared with the Department of Home Affairs. The Department is fast tracking the filling of vacant posts, and, once, the posts on the approved structure have been filled, it will improve capacity at the CTRRO. The CTRRO is categorised as a large office, and the Department is working towards ensuring that the CTRRO’s human resource, and infrastructure capacity is at par with other offices in the same category within the Department. The staff compliment at the CTRRO, thus, remains below the minimum requirement – as proposed by the Court – of 90 on-site staff.



(2)(b)             The availability of resources will dictate the length of time this will take.



(2)(b)(i)          The, current, total staff establishment is 39.



(2)(b)(ii)          Not applicable.



(3)                                   Yes. The CTRRO continues to attend to, and receive refugees, and asylum seekers.



(3)(a)              The total number of refugees, and asylum seekers, who attend the centre daily varies on a day by day basis between 1500 to 2500.



(3)(b)              All applications received on any specific day at the CTRRO are processed on the same day.

(4)(a)              A total of 20.



(4)(b)              A total of 20.



(5)(a)              The Centre Management and Senior Management from the Department’s Head Office have met with the Executive Mayor of Cape Town to try, and find a workable solution to deal with this issue. One solution, or measure had been law enforcement to discourage this practice.



(5)(b)              Applicants who visit the office, daily, are assisted with varying services of need. They are attended to without fail.



(5)(c)              No person is considered to be an illegal immigrant, once, they have approached the CTRRO, as all persons who visit the CTRRO are assisted on the same day, unless they have contravened specific legislation, and, or undermined South African laws.