The Home Affairs Committee has expressed concern over the rising number of judicial review applications in asylum and refugee cases, highlighting the strain on the system and calling for urgent reforms.
The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has raised concern over what it describes as increasing abuse of litigation processes in asylum and refugee applications, warning that the trend is placing strain on South Africa’s immigration and asylum system and contributing to significant backlogs.
The committee made the remarks following an engagement with the Department of Home Affairs and the Refugee Appeals Authority of South Africa on measures aimed at addressing the growing backlog in asylum seeker and refugee applications.
According to the committee, RAASA was served with 2,733 judicial review applications during the reporting period, a figure it says highlights the scale of legal challenges being mounted against asylum and refugee decisions.
Committee Chairperson Mosa Chabane said while the right to legal review is constitutionally protected, there is concern that the system is being misused to delay outcomes.
