Lawyers For Human Rights has written a scathing open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa saying his Home Affairs Department is in crisis and flouts court rulings in favor of asylum seekers facing the longest backlog in the world

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba did not respond directly to the criticism from the pressure groups and NGOs, much of which focussed on Lindela which is South Africa’s largest repatriation  centre outside Johannesburg.

It was repeatedly referred to as a detention centre where human rights are violated.

At a function marking World Refugee Day, Gigaba said South Africa did not have a problem with asylum seekers but was challenged by illegal migrants.

Lawyers For Human Rights said South Africa rejects 96% of asylum applications, often after keeping applicants waiting for as long  as 15 years.

It accused authorities of discriminating against African asylum seekers, noting that there was not a single white occupant of Lindela.

It said asylum seekers in South Africa have to endure official corruption and  routine physical abuse from a system that cripplingly inefficient and operating in flagrant disregard of constitutional values.

Medicines Sans Frontiers has tabled an official complaint that treatment for tuberculosis and HIV /AIDS is absent from Lindela.

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The watchdog’s open letter to the President says Home Affairs is in crisis, operating in flagrant disregard of constitutional values, cripplingly inefficient and poorly managed, with reports of widespread bribery and corruption. 

Lawyers for Human Rights says South Africa has the longest backlog in the world for dealing with hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers that have come here. 96% of asylum applications are rejected

The organization says asylum seekers are  subject to police corruption and routine, systematic physical abuse.

It says Home Affairs in not transparent and does not have a complaints  mechanism.

Only Africans are arrested, says LHR, pointing out that there are no white people held at the Lindela repatriation facility.

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