PHOTOS: Ghanaians Seeking "Asylum Permits" In South Africa
About 3000 persons from some West African states are seeking asylum in South Africa.
Some of these people have to join long queues just to get ‘asylum permits’ to stay in the country for three to six months (subject to renewal) depending on the reason behind your stay in South Africa.
Some of these people have described the ordeal they go through before getting a permit as appalling since according to them, security officials whip them with canes just to keep them in a straight queue.
According to PEACE FMs correspondent currently in South Africa, Odehunufuor Jackson, majority of the people seeking asylum are from Nigeria with about 300 from Ghana.
Explaining what normally happens at the Consulate in South Africa, the asylum seekers report very early to form the queue to either renew or get a new asylum permit. Most often there are middlemen who work in close collaboration with the security officers and the embassy and they charge between 100-500 rand for those who want quick service.
Those who are able to pay this amount would not have to join the long queues since they will be immediately led to the office to get their permit.
A 27-year-old Ghanaian woman (name withheld) who was in the queue spoke to this correspondent indicating that she ended up in South Africa because she was running away from her family.
According to her, her family is after her life, adding she would only return to the country after her entire family members are wiped out.
Another gentleman (name withheld) who spoke to Jackson indicated that his family members wanted to enstool him as chief and he had to run away because he didn’t like the position.
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