South Africa: Refugee Appeals Backlog Reduced By More Than 12%

The Department of Home Affairs says reforms at the Refugee Appeals Authority of South Africa (RAASA) have reduced the country's active refugee appeals caseload by more than 12%.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the department said the number of active appeals fell from 79 870 at the end of 2024 to 70 976 at the end of 2025, a reduction of 8 894 cases.

The department said 19 064 cases were removed from a ringfenced backlog of 133 582 appeals during the 2025/26 financial year, representing a 14.2% reduction.