Home Affairs cuts refugee appeals backlog by nearly 9 000 cases

Home Affairs removes 19 064 cases from a ringfenced backlog of 133 582 refugee appeals during 2025/26 financial year.

49 seconds ago

Kayla Shaw 2 minutes read

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber Photo: Supplied

The Department of Home Affairs says reforms to South Africa’s refugee appeals system have reduced the country’s active refugee appeals caseload by more than 12%, marking what it describes as the biggest reduction in years.

As reported by The Witness, in a statement, the department said the number of active appeals before the Refugee Appeals Authority of South Africa (RAASA) fell from 79 870 at the end of 2024 to 70 976 by the close of 2025, a reduction of 8 894 cases.

ALSO READ: Thousands of smart ID cards unclaimed at local Home Affairs branches

The department said 19 064 cases were removed from a ringfenced backlog of 133 582 appeals during the 2025/26 financial year, representing a 14.2% reduction.

According to Home Affairs, appeals were removed through determinations, withdrawals, case finalisations and paper-based decisions where appellants failed to attend scheduled hearings.

The department said the refugee appeals backlog had accumulated over more than two decades, with some unresolved matters dating back to 2008.

Reforms boost capacity

Home Affairs attributed the reduction to a range of operational reforms implemented at RAASA.

These include the appointment of 40 additional advocate members, an increase in the number of appeal hearings scheduled each day, targeted adjudication strategies for high-volume and less complex appeals, and strengthened performance management.

The department also said RAASA had expanded its collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to improve the quality and consistency of appeal decisions.

Additional advocates from the Cape Bar are also being appointed to strengthen adjudication capacity in the Western Cape, which has the country’s second-largest refugee appeals caseload.

ALSO READ: Sassa introduces fourth payment day for social grant reviews

Further progress expected

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the department expected the backlog to continue shrinking following the appointment of more advocates and a recent Constitutional Court judgment dealing with repeat asylum applications.

“While we still have a way to go, efficiency gains have already produced the biggest reduction in the refugee appeals backlog in years,” said Schreiber.

He said the reforms were aimed at improving the efficiency of South Africa’s asylum system, reducing waiting times for applicants while ensuring the country continued to meet its constitutional and international obligations.

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: