South Africa Govt's Rejection of Afghan Refugees Slammed

U.S.-based non-profit Exitus has sought legal advice following the South African government's refusal to temporarily accommodate 126 Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban, writes Peter Fabricius for Daily Maverick. Candace Rivera, CEO Exitus, said many in this group were "high-value individuals" on the Taliban's kill list.

"They're American allies, they did something for the Afghan government, maybe they were chief of police... a ton of female activists, female physicians, female attorneys, females who have been survivors of trauma that speak out, females who are humanitarian NGOs."

In a statement, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said it had noted "overtures made to the country to consider receiving a number of Afghanistan refugees who have sought refuge in Pakistan".

"The request is that they be accommodated in South Africa en-route to their final destinations. The South African government is unfortunately not in a position to accommodate such a request. South Africa is already home to a substantial number of refugees and is seized with addressing their needs. Most of them already benefit from social assistance and free medical health programmes offered by our country," the statement said.