Refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa were given a deadline of 31 December 2021 to renew their documentation online. Some of those who have missed that deadline blame persistent failures of South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) online system for being late. Others say they never got any response after renewing online.
Home Affairs granted a blanket extension for all asylum seekers and refugees whose permits expired on or after 15 March 2020. Refugees were told to renew their papers online. The system went live on 15 April 2021. They had until 31 December 2021 to renew.
