The City of Cape Town has filed court papers to evict approximately 264 refugees from tented camps in Paint City, Bellville, and Wingfield, Maitland, where they have resided since 2020.
The group, primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, demands resettlement in Canada, rejecting local reintegration or repatriation to their home countries due to fears of violence and xenophobia.
The refugees were relocated from a city centre church protest during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, alongside the Departments of Home Affairs and Public Works, cites unlawful occupation and unsuccessful reintegration efforts as grounds for eviction under “Operation New Broom” to reclaim public spaces.
While some refugees accepted alternative housing or repatriation, others remain steadfast, claiming reintegration aid, such as R2,000 per family, is inadequate.
Refugees argue the South African government placed them in the camps and failed to provide viable solutions.
The UNHCR and city officials state international resettlement is not feasible. Meanwhile, South Africans on social media question why taxpayers should fund foreign nationals’ relocation abroad.
As tensions rise, the refugees await a court ruling, insisting they have nowhere safe to go.