According to the South African Department of Home Affairs, Angolan refugees have until the 20th January 2017 to apply for permanent residence or be deported back to their home country. This comes after a court order made by the Western Cape High Court after a lengthy litigation process dating back to 2013 when the Department of Home Affairs announced it was revoking refugee statuses as Angola was now no longer a war zone. The department said the circumstances that recognised Angolans as refugees no longer existed; therefore, SA no longer had an obligation to protect them. As of that they automatically became, the Angolan refugees were given two years to work and study in SA while preparing to go back home. When their cessation permits were no longer valid they automatically became illegal immigrant
To help us talk more about this we are joined on the line by:
1. Leon Issacson Managing Director Global Migration
2. Pieter Britz Managing Director Forum of Immigration Practitioners of South Africa (FIPSA)
3. Manuel Panzo: President of the Congress of Students in the Angolan Refugee Community in South Africa
