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“Nowhere to be found”: Three Decades of UNHCR in South Africa

Zanker, Dr. Franzisca (2021): „“Nowhere to be found”: Three Decades of UNHCR in South Africa“, in: Völkerrechtsblog (Hg.), This post is part of the series “70 Years of UNHCR and the 1951 Refugee Convention: Global Developments”, which is edited and published in cooperation by the Völkerrechtsblog and the Forced Migration Studies Blog (FluchtforschungsBlog). .
Abstract:
Though the UNHCR in South Africa go to great efforts to be neutral and provide the best possible assistance to those seeking refuge, by design they have to work together with the Home Affairs department. In practice this means that asylum seekers and refugees will often see them as co-responsible for the government (in-)actions. This piece looks at UNHCR and their roles in humanitarian relief, refugee protests and potential encampment policies, to reflect on their relationship to the South African government as well as refugees in the country.
Date of publication:
Forschungsbereich: Patterns of (Forced) Migration
Language: English
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