Pretoria High Court Order Granting 22 Afghan Refugees Asylum Stands Despite Aaron Motsoaledi’s Protests

• The Department of Home Affairs has lost its challenge of a Pretoria High Court's order compelling it to grant 22 Afghan refugees asylum
• The refugees had previously been denied asylum because Home Affairs claimed their request was based on spurious claims
• Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi claimed granting the Afghans access to SA would invite the Taliban to the country

PRETORIA - The Department of Home Affairs will have to grant 22 Afghan refugees asylum transit visas after failing to challenge a Pretoria High Court order.

This comes after the department denied the Afghan nationals entry into the county for what Home Affairs described as "spurious" asylum claims.

Aaron Motsoaledi claims the Afghan refugees would put SA on the Taliban's radar

The Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, claimed granting the asylum seekers access to South Africa would pose a security risk to the country.

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The minister claimed the group could put SA on the Taliban's radar after the refugees fled Afghanistan following a dispute with the terrorist group, EWN reported.

Motsoaledi asked:

"Isn't the US the most powerful country to defend them and protect them?"

The Home Affairs minister further accused the US NGO, The Lifeline Foundation, of trying to undermine SA's sovereignty by trying to legally compel the SA government to grant the Afghans asylum.

Department of Home Affairs agrees to comply with Pretoria High Court order

The department released a statement confirming that Home Affairs would comply with the High Court's final judgment.

DHA spokesperson Siya Qoza said that the department's compliance doesn't mean asylum will be granted without impunity. Qoza claimed the department would not hesitate to fight such cases in the future, TimesLIVE reported.

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South Africans react to the Afghan refugees' asylum status

Citizens have questioned why the refugees want to come to South Africa, claiming the country is seriously flawed.

Below are some comments:

@SphiweMabunda claimed:

"Courts need to be reviewed."

@007questbond questioned:

"Fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan or joining the Taliban in South Africa?"

@highwaymanza commented:

"Lol, they will have more basic needs met in Afghanistan most likely, more specifically that of safety and security."

@HumbulaniNd added:

"To South Africa? It’s a war zone here."

@CarelLaGgY777 questioned:

"Why tf would they want to come here? The rand is not doing very well."

Home Affairs cracks down on foreign nationals and department officials who make fake SA IDs and passports

In another story, Briefly News reported that the Department of Home Affairs is cracking down on those who manufacture and sell fake South African identity documents and passports.

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In response to a written parliamentary question from IFP's Liezl van der Merwe, Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi said fake IDs and passports were picked up both locally and internationally.

The minister said once fake documents are spotted, the department's civic services branch refers the matter to the counter-corruption unit.

Source: Briefly News