The Government of the Republic of South Africa and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, have partnered to support the Refugee Appeals Authority of South Africa (RAASA), formerly the Refugee Appeal Board (RAB), in a project to resolve the backlog of approximately 150,000 appeals and put measures in place to prevent another backlog from occurring.
The Appeals Backlog Project was officially launched in March 2021 and aims to resolve the pending appeal cases over the course of 4 years, through the ramp-up of resources, including increase of members and technical equipment funded by UNHCR.
The RAASA is currently deciding appeals that were made before 2017, and if this applies to you, please follow the below guidelines:
1) In order to receive a Notice of Hearing, ensure that your local Refugee Reception Office has your up-to-date contact information including.
You can update your contact information by sending an email to: [email protected] . Make sure to include the below information in your communication:
- Department of Home Affairs (DHA) File Number
- Your name and the names of all family members appealing with you
- Home address in South Africa
- Telephone number
- E-mail address
- ATTENTION! If you do not provide full contact information, including home address, e-mail address and telephone number, your hearing may go ahead without you present or even your appeal being cancelled.
2) Once you receive the date for hearing in a Notice of Hearing, you will have 30 days to sign and submit your Notice of Hearing and to provide any new evidence/information relevant to your appeal to the RAASA. You can provide this by sending an email to [email protected]
- Please note that it is mandatory for Appellants to sign and return their Notices of Hearing in order for the RAASA to proceed with the hearing.
- Make sure to put your DHA file number on the subject line of your messages to RAASA.
ATTENTION!
- Please check your email box regularly
- While you wait for your appeal hearing/decision, please continue to renew your asylum permit. More information on how to renew your documents is available here: Online Renewal of Permits
- The RAASA is sending Notices of Hearing to the Appellant’s email address on file as provided by Appellant upon renewal of their permit through the Online Extension System
- If you have any doubts about the appeal process or if you face any challenges, contact RAASA at: [email protected] OR [email protected] OR call 012 316 9800
USEFUL RESOURCES (Click on the title of each document to download it)
Notice of Appeal – When you receive a rejection decision from the RSDO at the RRO, you have the right to appeal that decision and the Notice of Appeal is the instrument through which you should inform the DHA you have the intention to appeal the decision.
Change of Address Form – You can use this form to update your contact information and send it to RAASA at: [email protected] OR to the relevant RRO:
- Desmond Tutu RRO: [email protected]
- Cape Town RRO: [email protected]
- Durban: [email protected]
- Musina: [email protected]
- Qheberha: [email protected]
Interpreter/Translator form – If you are unable to speak and understand English, you will be provided with an interpreter by the RAASA. Submit the form along with the other information required within 30 days from the receipt of Notice of Hearing to indicate the language you require interpretation.
Notice of Hearing – This is a sample of how you will should expect to receive notification that a Hearing has been scheduled for your appeal application
Appeals Backlog Project Brochure – Document with more information on the project.