Law enforcement officers escorted the group throughout the relocation process.
Refugees protesting the living condition in the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp, South Africa, have camped outside the UNHCR offices in Pretoria since 2019 demandig their repatriation. The eviction order served today will see them returning to Krugersdorp. (Photo by Michele SPATARI / AFP)
The Department of Home Affairs relocated 274 asylum seekers and refugees from outside its offices on Che Guevara Road in Durban to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, on Tuesday.
How the relocation unfolded
According to a department statement issued on Wednesday, 278 people had initially agreed to the move, but four withdrew before departure, leaving 274 who were transferred.
The department revealed that those relocated included 191 nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 76 from Burundi, five from Uganda, one from Mozambique and one from Ghana.
The relocation followed engagements between the department and stakeholders representing the affected communities, who had been camped outside the Durban office.
“The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration had presented the displaced communities with two options: returning to their areas of residence or relocating to Lindela. Following a series of consultations, the option of relocation to Lindela was agreed upon,” the department revealed.
Road cleared under police escort
Law enforcement officers escorted the group throughout the relocation process.
Che Guevara Road was also cleared during the operation, a step the department said was necessary to comply with municipal by-laws and maintain public order.
