afrol News, 24 July - South African authorities have been condemned for allowing the police to forcefully remove more than 700 people, including refugees and asylum-seekers, from the Glenada displacement camp near the commercial capital Johannesburg to Lindela Repatriation Centre.

Amnesty International argued that the 22 July removals had placed affected people at imminent risk of expulsion from South Africa.

Most of the removed people had been repatriated to their countries of origin, amid international outcry.

The forceful removal followed an incident at Glenanda site on 17 July in which the police used excessive force against residents, injuring 23 people who were shot at close range with rubber bullets. The rights body called for a full investigation into this incident.

The removal took place after South African officials began to implement a registration and temporary residence permit system for the thousands of individuals still internally displaced by anti-foreigner violence which erupted in some parts of the country, including Gauteng, Western Cape and Durban
At the Glenada camp, those targeted for removal were unregistered ones without the new identity documents.

"The new registration process has led to confusion, increased tension and a reluctance among some people at the displacement sites to register. There's been a lack of good, clear information about the process and its implications," said Amnesty International.

"We have told the government of our concerns about the manner of the introduction of this new system, including the lack of clarity about the effect of the new permit on people's existing legal status. This is particularly crucial for those who have existing refugee or other legal rights of residence."

The rights body also condemned South African officials for denying access to adequate food to those who failed to register at the Glenada camp, which " constitutes a violation of South Africa’s obligations under international law."

South African government has been urged to "uphold its human rights obligations and not forcibly return asylum-seekers and others in need of international protection to the countries they have fled," adding that its visiting delegates to some of the sites in July heard cases of individuals who had been verbally or physically attacked for attempting to return to their former homes.

"We appeal to the government not to precipitously close these sites. There is growing pressure on people in these camps to re-integrate back into local communities without there being a safe and sustainable reintegration plan in place," said the group.

"Many of these people are still suffering trauma from the violent attacks and property destruction in May. The government needs to explain much more fully to them what the implications of the registration process are, and to ensure their human rights are not violated."

By staff writer

© afrol News

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