By Natasha Prince
Staff Reporter
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The refugees - two women and 37 men - called yesterday for assistance from NGOs or the Human Rights Commission, or to be repatriated to their countries of origin.
The 39 were arrested last Thursday when they refused to leave Blue Waters, a former safety site set up by the city to house foreign nationals displaced by the May 2008 xenophobic attacks.
The refugees said they were dropped off at the old Customs House building on the foreshore on Friday and told by police to contact "the immigration office".
They were dropped off after a court appearance, having spent two days in holding cells on a trespassing charge.
They spent the weekend in the parking area sheltered by a few small trees and bushes.
The group comprises 18 Somalians and 21 people from other countries including the Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia.
The Somali group want repatriation but were told at Blue Waters by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees that some parts of their country were not safe to return to.
Cape Town central police station spokesman Captain Ezra October said police had taken the refugees to Customs House on court instructions.
But immigration officials said they could not assist the group because they had papers and were in the country legally.
The state building belongs to the Department of Public Works and contains offices used by port immigration staff, among other government departments, according to Jacob Davids, who is in charge of security there.
Davids said refugees were not allowed to sleep on the premises.
"They are supposed to go to Home Affairs, I don't know why they were brought to this building."
The women, aged 42 and 43, said they had nowhere to wash and were sometimes allowed to use the toilets in the building.
One of the refugees, Abdinasir Mohamed, said many of the group had not eaten because they did not know anyone in town, could not get jobs and had no money.
"This life is horrible, this is a horrible situation. We need anyone to help us," he said.
Vincent Moaga, spokesperson for the Human Rights Commission, said he was waiting for feedback from the organisation's provincial office and would comment later.
Source: Cape Argus