UNHCR Archives - Voice of the Cape

Titanic sub: Social media users slam ‘hypocritical’ media coverage

Hundreds of social media users are calling out mainstream media for what they say is a marked disparity in the coverage of last week’s deadly shipwreck in the Mediterranean and the missing Titanic-exploring submarine. Titan, the submersible which was on an expedition to view Titanic wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean, has dominated headlines since the vessel went missing on Sunday. Major news outlets have carried round-the-clock reporting, live blogs, explainers, and background […]

23 June 2023

International

If passed, UK asylum Bill ‘would amount to asylum ban’: UN Refugee Agency

If it was passed, the UK asylum legislation "would amount to an asylum ban," the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday, voicing concern over the matter, Anadolu News Agency reports. "UNHCR is profoundly concerned by the asylum Bill introduced by the UK Government to the House of Commons today," the Agency said in a statement. "In its current form, the Bill compels the Home Secretary to deny access to the UK asylum […]

8 March 2023

International

Cop27: UN urges countries to address climate-displaced peoples

INTERNATIONAL The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is calling on world leaders to address the impact that climate change and natural disasters have on the displacement of people, as countries gather in Egypt for the annual climate conference, Cop27. "COP27 must equip countries and communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis to prepare for extreme weather, to adapt, and minimize the impact of the climate emergency," Filippo Grandi said in […]

8 November 2022

International News

UN calls for continued Afghan aid ahead of donor conference

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi has urged the international community to remain committed to Afghanistan, calling for greater support for refugees and internally displaced people ahead of the opening of a two-day international donor conference. The UNHCR chief said on Monday that the future of millions of Afghans depends on the outcome of peace negotiations between the Kabul government and the Taliban being held in the Qatari capital Doha and […]

23 November 2020

International News

Immigration detention centres become Malaysia coronavirus hotspot

Despite strict movement restrictions that have helped contain the coronavirus, Malaysia finds itself facing a surge of cases in overcrowded detention centres that coincided with a series of raids last month in which more than 2,000 undocumented migrants were picked up. "We have identified detention centres as a high-risk area," Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the director-general of the Ministry of Health, said at a news briefing on May 26. Some […]

2 June 2020

Local

UNHCR stands firm on Cape Town refugee situation

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reiterated it will not be able to resettle the large group of refugees involved in a stand-off with Cape Town's Law Enforcement Unit, which is preventing them from sleeping on pavements in the CBD. The refugees were removed from the perimeter of the Central Methodist Mission on Sunday, where they had been staying since October, as the City of Cape Town enforces its […]

3 March 2020

News

Court backs City by-laws regarding refugees

By Tauhierah Salie In a highly anticipated ruling, a court has granted the City of Cape Town the permission to enforce its by-laws regarding around 700 refugees and asylum seekers at the Central Methodist Church in Cape Town. Stakeholders in the matter reappeared in Western Cape High Court on Monday, where Judge Daniel Thulare granted the interim order the City has applied for. It comes amid persistent complaints about deteriorating […]

18 February 2020

News

GOTG return to assist refugees, as negotiations continue

By Tauhierah Salie As things reach a tipping point for the refugees in the Cape Town CBD, humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers (GOTG) provided much-need aid over the weekend. The sit-in of around 600 refugees at the Central Methodist Church has surpassed its fourth month and refugees have refused to budge on their demands of being resettled abroad. The refugees have cited issues including police brutality and discrimination, employment […]

27 January 2020

News

Reintegration among options for refugees, as structures hold 3-day talks

By Tauhierah Salie Reintegration is among the resolutions for refugees staging a sit in at the Central Methodist Church in Cape Town CBD. This is according to the South African Human Rights Commissioner, Chris Nissan, who gave VOC feedback on the engagements aimed at appeasing several parties. The situation for around 600 refugees has reached boiling point, as living conditions have become intolerable and division has resulted in a major […]

7 January 2020

UNHCR

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