A makeshift refugee camp, housing over 1 000 desperate asylum seekers, has sprung up on the Foreshore.

As if South Africa was the master of all Africa – today its seen as a safe place by all manner of refugees from the north of the border. Thousands flock to SA every day to milk the SA tax payer of their hard earned rands. The situation is made worse by the near total absence of border patrols and emigration officials except at the official crossings themselves.

Asylum seekers are flocking to the city centre in the hope of being assisted by the department of home affairs in their bid to get legal papers.
More than 1 000 immigrants, who want to beat the daily bus queues which take them to the home affairs offices in Barrack Street, are now camping there.

On the site, there are three mobile toilets put up by home affairs. There is no running water or bathroom facilities and the stench of urine permeates the air.

Applications for asylum papers are processed in Barrack Street. The home affairs Foreshore office closed two weeks ago following the sale of Customs House.

Most of them spend up to three weeks on the pavement, but when they leave, their spots are taken up by new refugees.

Most are Zimbabweans, peppered with a few Somalis, Congolese and Malawians.