…Researched and contributed by Femi Taiwo.
Refugees camped outside the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pretoria, South Africa are set to be evicted from their makeshift shelters.
They are unwilling to return to their countries of origin or remain in South Africa, and want to be sent to a third country.
However, the UNHCR has stated that this is not possible.
A year ago, 33 families were repatriated from Lindela Repatriation Centre and Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre after their protests in 2019.
An eviction order granted by the Pretoria High Court in August 2022 is set to be implemented.
The date for the eviction had been set for 19 April but has been postponed.
UNHCR spokesperson Laura Padoan said the eviction is inevitable.
The refugees have refused legal representation and the eviction order remains unopposed.
The application for the eviction order was brought by the City of Tshwane, Pretoria homeowners, and the departments of Home Affairs, Police, and Social Development, and the UNHCR.
Some refugees have been receiving maths lessons every day.
The children have not been in school since the protests began in 2019.
Maliya Mungu, the refugee spokesperson, has lost touch with his wife and children since they were separated in 2020.
When he returned to the UNHCR last year, he was surprised to find that they were not with the others.
The last time they communicated was when they were in court.
Padoan said conditions outside the UNHCR are unsanitary and dangerous, particularly for the children in the group.
Temporary accommodation will be provided at the Lindela repatriation centre.
Padoan encouraged the refugees to return to the places where they had been living in South Africa.
The situation reflects a broader crisis in the treatment of refugees and migrants worldwide, as many flee persecution and war in their home countries only to find themselves facing hostility and discrimination in the countries to which they flee.
The UNHCR is facing limitations but is advocating for more resources and resettlement places for refugees who need them.