18th July - Nelson Mandela International Day 2020
The 18th of July marks a public holiday in South Africa, as a remembrance for Nelson Mandela's birthday. In 2009, the day was inaugurated as Nelson Mandela International Day by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), as a response to a global crisis of poverty and inequality. On this particular day people recognize and commemorate Nelson Mandela’s commitment to human rights, conflict resolution and reconciliation. The celebration is a call to action for everyone to elicit...
As Borders are Reopening, what does it mean for Migrants?
Border closures, physical distancing, lockdowns, and subsequent restricted onward mobility of the COVID-19 pandemic has been heavily impacting the lives and wellbeing of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. The restrictions have not only stopped the movement of people and goods, but also domestic and international remittances (1). Diaspora communities in the Global North, in addition to South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda are experiencing job losses, and the remittances that sustain 40% of Somalis are rapidly diminishing (1). Despite,...
Documentation, Documentation, Documentation!
When we consider people on the move and their interaction with government authorities or access to services one of the matters that is often raised is identification and/or enabling documentation and the absence thereof presents with a number of challenges. We regularly hear about documentation allowing for migration via regular channels or that a migrant migrated via irregular channels because they did not have the requisite documentation. The absence of documentation for migrants creates another layer of vulnerability...
Scalabrini Centre Wins Court Order to Ensure Asylum-Seekers and Special Permit Holders are able to receive the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant
On June 19th, the day before World Refugee Day, the Scalabrini Centre represented by Norton Rose Fulbright were granted a court order from the Western Cape High Court, Cape Town, that allows some asylum seekers and special permit holders within South Africa to apply for the R350 COVID-19 Social Relief Distress Grant (SRD Grant). This court order came after the urgent litigation launched by the Scalabrini Centre on May 22nd. Those who wish to apply for...
What is happening in Cabo Delgadao, Mozambique?
For the past three years the population of Cabo Delgado has been faced with repeated terrorist attacks. A region rich with natural gas and other minerals, Cabo Delgado is located in the northeast of Mozambique, with a population of 2.3. million inhabitants (1). Following the first attack in October 2017, the impact on the population has been determinantal, from March 2019 to March 2020 the number of displaced people rose from 1,000 to 115,000 people (2)....
World Refugee Day 2020
World Refugee Day is on the 20th of June and is a day on which we commemorate the hardship, challenges and persecution of refugees and a day on which we celebrate the lives, the dignity and the resilience of Refugees across the globe. Refugees are not refugees by choice but rather are forced to flee their countries due to a well-founded fear of persecution or due to generalised violence or war. Refugees are a testament to...
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