Members of the March and March group closed the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Street in Durban on Tuesday, disrupting access to services for asylum seekers who had arrived to apply for refugee status.
The anti-immigration group gathered near the centre, where women with documents, mothers with children, and men waited in the scorching heat of Durban, hoping to enter the asylum system.
At a temperature of 29°C, the heat hung heavily over the pavement while many people awaited assistance; women and children formed one long queue stretching along the road, while men waited on the opposite side of the centre.
The closure occurred against the backdrop of a Department of Home Affairs directive requiring refugee reception offices to accept individuals who personally report their desire to apply for asylum.
This directive followed a Constitutional Court ruling in July that declared unconstitutional and invalid provisions of the Refugees Act which create barriers for people who entered South Africa illegally or did not apply within the stipulated timeframes.
Among those affected by the uncertainty surrounding the asylum process is 19-year-old Congolese woman Julienne, who arrived in South Africa in 2025 after fleeing a country where a life-threatening war continues.
She said she hoped to find safety in South Africa but instead encountered xenophobia and struggled to find work without documents. Julienne told IOL: 'I am here because I have no papers. I am Congolese. I came to South Africa in 2025. I have experienced a lot of xenophobia. They fired us from work and told us we should go back home.'
Her words reflect the complex reality faced by people arriving in South Africa seeking protection but finding hostility, uncertainty, and a lengthy asylum process. For Julienne, returning home is not a simple option. She added: 'But there is war at home. We came here looking for safety, but found another kind of danger.'
Before arriving at the Refugee Reception Centre, Julienne tried to earn a living in South Africa. She worked as a shop assistant and used her skills to sew clothes for people. However, the lack of documents made it difficult to achieve stability.
She is now among hundreds of people seeking entry into the asylum system, and the resumption of access for new applications represents a potential lifeline for those fighting for legal protection. Nevertheless, the wait remains long. Julienne noted: 'The queue here is still very long. They are still helping people who arrived yesterday.'