FIVE days. That's all the time asylum seekers coming into South Africa have to apply for asylum before facing arrest and deportation.
In the past, asylum seekers had 15 days to present themselves at one of three refugee reception offices to apply for the appropriate paperwork, but new regulations introduced at the end of May have seen this drastically reduced.
But Consortium for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in SA advocacy officer Roshan Dadoo, said: "To get into the Pretoria building, there are queues and corruption. There is a price list. Bribing your way in is a common practice."
Dadoo said the stricter laws did not help the South African government or the new asylum seekers. – Katharine Child