Queue Here for Corruption: Measuring Irregularities in South Africa's Asylum System

Abstract

South Africa’s refugee reception offices (RROs) are the gateway through which would-be asylum seekers and refugees access legal protection. Following years of anecdotal evidence regarding corruption at the RROs, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS) conducted a quantitative assessment of the scope of corruption at these offices. The assessment revealed significant levels of corruption involving multiple actors, occurring at all stages of the asylum process, and continuing even after an individual had obtained refugee status. Results varied by office, but overall almost one-third of respondents experienced corruption at an RRO. The Marabastad RRO in Pretoria showed the highest levels of corruption.

Keywords: Corruption, Asylum, South Africa, Migration