Staff Writer
THE Justice Department has called on South Africans to respond to the intolerance faced by refugees, by making inputs to the draft National Action Plan (NAP) to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances.
Justice Department spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said the NAP was not intended to replace existing laws and policies, but rather to be complementary to existing legislation, policies and framework.
As part of celebrating World Refugee Day, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and his deputy Fatima Chohan, along with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), will visit the refugee community at the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg today.
Home Affairs spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete said: “South Africa has a constitutional obligation to ensure that genuine refugees are acknowledged and supported.”
The UN Agency for Refugees, meanwhile, has called on the public to support the increasing number of families fleeing conflict and persecution, while
Filippo Grandi, of the UNHCR, in launching an online petition, appealed to governments to act on behalf of the world’s forcibly displaced.
UNHCR goodwill ambassador Cate Blanchett said countries around the world should ensure that refugees have protection, shelter and the chance to live a productive life.
“We are in the middle of a catastrophic displacement crisis that has already uprooted millions of innocent families, and seen too many lose their lives trying to reach safety. The ultimate solution is political – we need peace and stability.”
More than 60 million people have been displaced, according to UN Women. “Girls are almost 2.5 times more likely to be out of school in countries affected by conflict, and studies show that girls are less likely to have access to education in situations of displacement than boys.”