Durban’s refugees are in safe hands

YASMIN Rajah always wanted to be an air hostess, and you could say that she currently is, although her feet don’t leave the ground as she tells her clients to buckle up.

The director of the Refugee Social Services in Durban, Rajah, and her organisation, welcome refugees as they arrive in South Africa and assist them with integration into their new city.

Rajah, a Westville resident, is an experienced social worker. She maintains that her work isn’t a calling.

“I just like people and have always been curious. I started working with this very invisible community in 2003. We shouldn’t blame people for being refugees. Put blame where it belongs – the people causing conflicts and persecution should be blamed, not the person who ran away from the conflict,” she says.

The organisation provides a holistic offering of services for the refugee community in Durban.

“We do an orientation in their own language, explain what their rights and responsibilities are in South Africa, and list what documentation they need. They may need health assistance, orientation, trauma counselling, and material assistance to get them into accommodation, and they need to know what their rights are. We help with all of that,” says Rajah.

ALSO READ: Blind cricket tournament for Durban in October

Rajah says that the biggest challenge for the refugee community is obtaining the correct documents.

“The SA government doesn’t provide anything, other than the documentation that’s supposed to allow you to get services. But that document is so difficult to get. We have to do a lot of advocacy around documentation, just for the Department of Home Affairs to recognise what our constitution says. Think about the challenges you and I face to get a document, and multiply that by 50 when it comes to a refugee getting their foot in the door to legalise themselves,” says Rajah.

There are just five refugee reception offices in the country, and only four of these can process newcomers. Newly arrived refugees have been waiting for up to two years to get an appointment, and Covid-19 restrictions have increased the waiting period. The backlog in appeal appointments for denied applications has meant that some refugees have been stuck in limbo for ten years, according to Rajah.

“The issue around getting documented is so difficult, and if you can’t get documented, you are cut off from so many rights. It’s not only a refugee issue as there are many undocumented South Africans, including children. A document is a gateway to a whole lot of services, and you have no rights without it,” says Rajah.

ALSO READ: Off the wall: Giffy brings walls to life with breathtaking murals

Once they have integrated into life in the country, Rajah hopes to welcome refugees to the organisation as friends rather than clients.

“At the organisation, we tell clients that we would like to close their file so they can come as a visitor and not as a client. Then their journey with us, as it’s a partnership, has succeeded, and they are a thriving person. We are there to give them a lift in a time of crisis.”

Rajah says she feels her work has had a positive impact on her own children.

“For me, the most important thing to impart to my children is to not treat someone as an ‘other’ – put yourself in their shoes. Treat people with dignity and kindness, and give them opportunities to blossom,” she says.

Rajah feels her work with the refugee community has enriched her own life.

“I feel privileged to meet interesting and strong people from all over the world. They’ve come from difficult circumstances but are lovely people. You get to understand the rest of the world; for us, specifically, it’s the rest of Africa. There is this melding and fusing that brings about more – there’s a lot to respect, learn and to experience.”

ALSO READ: Volunteers keep the Inchanga Choo Choo puffing

The Refugee Social Services receives no government funding, and although the organisation receives funds from international donors, the amount has diminished. The organisation accepts financial and material donations from the public or businesses.

Should you like to make a donation, please use these banking details:

Account name: Refugee Social Services
Bank: First National Bank
Account number: 62187878792

For more information, email admin@refugeesocialservices.co.za.