Pretoria – At a meeting this week, Cabinet declared 31 August 2013 as the cessation date for Angolan refugees.
This is in line with the cessation declared by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in October 2009, and gives effect to efforts to enhance regional integration, said Minister in the Presidency, Collins Chabane on Thursday.
He said fundamental changes had taken place since the end of the civil war in Angola and it was considered that Angolan refugees should be able to reclaim citizenship of their country of origin.
He said this was because the circumstances that recognised a person as a refugee no longer existed.
“The South African government will ensure that every Angolan citizen in South Africa is informed about the cessation process to affected communities and to encourage affected Angolans to voluntarily avail themselves for repatriation,” said the minister.
According to the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, a person ceases to be a refugee if that person can no longer continue to refuse to avail themselves of the protection of the country of his or her nationality, because the circumstances in connection with such person has been recognised as a refugee have ceased to exist.
While South Africa has signed International Instruments, they have been incorporated into our domestic law by the Refugees Act. – SAnews.gov.za
