The South African (SA) government has firmly ruled out the establishment of refugee camps, stating that the country will maintain its policy of integration rather than encampment.
The announcement was made in Pretoria by the Minister of Justice and Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, Mmamoloko Kubayi, as the committee outlined the state’s broader strategy to address ongoing migration challenges.
Kubayi highlighted that the decision to avoid establishing camps is a definitive policy position that applies even on a short-term basis.
“There is no intention to create camps, even on a temporary basis, and that’s a message we continue to carry,” Kubayi stated. “We should not be expected to carry on and establish refugee camps. It’s a policy decision, it’s a legal decision we have taken as a country that we will not create refugee camps, and because of that policy stance, even temporarily so, we do not intend to create them.”
She re-iterated that managing migration effectively relies on robust cooperation between the SA government, local communities, and neighbouring countries within the region, rather than isolating displaced populations in restricted facilities.
–ChannelAfrica–
