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Refugee Permit / recognised refugee status

South AfricaHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in South Africa Read the five questions ↓

What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

This is recognised refugee status, the outcome of the asylum procedure rather than its start. The South African Government's service page states that if the asylum application is approved the applicant is given a Section 24 permit, also known as a Refugee Permit, which officially recognises the person as a refugee. The statutory basis is the Refugees Act 130 of 1998, described by the Government as intended to regulate applications for and recognition of refugee status and to provide for the rights and obligations flowing from such status.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured pages do not reproduce section 24 of the Refugees Act or the rights and obligations attached to refugee status.
  • This South African Government service page is a short official summary and carries no publication or revision date; it is not the Refugees Act or its regulations.

Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

It covers a person whose asylum application has been approved. The route into it is the asylum seeker's permit, which the service page describes as a temporary permit given pending a decision on the application for refugee status or for asylum, applied for at the nearest Refugee Reception Office by a person who has fled their country of origin for fear of persecution and does not have legal documents such as a passport or visa. The official pages do not state the criteria on which an application is approved.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured pages do not state the criteria for approving an asylum application or the grounds for exclusion from refugee status.
  • This South African Government service page is a short official summary and carries no publication or revision date; it is not the Refugees Act or its regulations.

Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

Protection is requested by submitting an application for asylum at a designated Refugee Reception Office; the asylum transit visa declaration states that a person who claims asylum at a port of entry must report there within 5 working days to submit that application.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured sources do not describe the decision or appeal process leading to recognition as a refugee.
  • The captured sources do not say where or how the refugee permit is renewed.

What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

The Section 24 permit officially recognises the holder as a refugee and is valid for two years, and the permit may be renewed. The service page also states that a person who has lived in South Africa for more than five years on a refugee status permit can apply for a permanent residence permit. Beyond recognition, validity and that permanent-residence possibility, the official pages state nothing about work, study, travel documents, family reunification or support.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured pages state nothing about work, study, travel documents, family reunification or support for recognised refugees.
  • This South African Government service page is a short official summary and carries no publication or revision date; it is not the Refugees Act or its regulations.

Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

The competent authority is the Department of Home Affairs, through its Refugee Reception Offices. The service page directs the reader to find out more about applying for refugee or asylum seeker status or to contact the Department of Home Affairs, and links the Refugees Act, 1998, the Immigration Act, 2002, the 1993 Basic Agreement between the Government of South Africa and the UNHCR, the 1951 UN Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured pages carry no fraud or scam warning and name no legal-aid or civil-society assistance channel.
  • This South African Government service page is a short official summary and carries no publication or revision date; it is not the Refugees Act or its regulations.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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