'Undocumented refugees’ lives at risk'

The lives of refugee women children and the LGBTI community are at risk if they remain undocumented.

That’s the argument put forward by Lawyers for Human Rights in a legal challenge against the Home Affairs Department.

Two civil society bodies want the court to compel the department to reopen the Cape Town Refugee Reception Centre, which was shut down in 2017. The centre provides a safe haven for refugees. The LHR is representing Sonke Gender Justice in the case.

Charne Tracey, an attorney at Lawyers for Human Rights says undocumented migrants are vulnerable to arrests and deportation.