Australia rejects 97 protection visa applications from SA in the past three months

While there has been a surge in South Africans seeking refuge in Australia since the country’s Home Minister Peter Dutton’s much-criticised announcement in 2018, 97 protection visa applications have been rejected in the past three months.

At least 33 protection visa applications were made since November last year, and none of them had been approved. Of the 570 humanitarian visa applications made, 340 were yet to be finalised while only 41 humanitarians visas had been granted to South Africans since 2008.

Rejection letters from the department that have been seen by The Australian explained applicants were not refugees because the violence and crime in South Africa was not “systemic and discriminatory”.

“I find the risk of murder and serious physical/sexual assaults is one faced by the population of the country generally and not by the applicants personally. Accordingly, I find there to be no real risk of significant harm under (the ­Migration Act). The violence is a result of unlawful activity and is random and ­opportunistic, rather than any systematic, religious or politically motivated objective,” Dutton’s delegate was quoted as saying by the publication.

Also read: Holomisa calls on UK to reassess visa rules for South Africans

Dutton, who oversees immigration, drew international criticism in 2018 for saying the South Africans deserved “special attention” for acceptance on refugee or humanitarian grounds.

He cited reports of land seizures and violence targeting the white farmers.

“If you look at the footage, you hear the stories and you read the accounts, it’s a horrific circumstance that they face,” Dutton told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph late Wednesday.

“I’ve asked my department to look at options and ways in which we can provide some assistance because I do think on the information I’ve seen people do need help, and they need help from a civilised country like ours.”

Dutton said at the time that white South African farmers worked hard and “I think these people deserve special attention and we’re applying that special attention now”.

He later retracted his statement.

(Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde. Additional reporting, AFP)

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