Pretoria: 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%.
According to South African Government News Agency, in a statement issued on Thursday, the department revealed that the number of active appeals fell from 79,870 at the end of 2024 to 70,976 at the end of 2025, marking a decrease of 8,894 cases. The department highlighted that 19,064 cases were removed from a ringfenced backlog of 133,582 appeals during the 2025/26 financial year, representing a 14.2% reduction.
The reduction in cases was achieved through various means including appeal determinations, withdrawals, case finalisations, and paper determinations for appellants who failed to attend scheduled hearings. The department noted that the refugee appeals backlog had accumulated over more than two decades, with some unresolved cases dating back to 2008.
The Department of Home Affairs attributed the reduction to operational reforms at RAASA. These included the appointment of 40 additional advocate members, an increase in the number of appeal hearings scheduled each day, targeted adjudication strategies for high-volume and less complex appeals, and strengthened performance management. Additionally, RAASA expanded its collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to improve the quality and consistency of decisions.
To further enhance adjudication capacity, additional advocates from the Cape Bar are being onboarded in the Western Cape, which has the country's second-largest refugee appeals caseload. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber expressed optimism about future progress, citing the appointment of additional advocates and a recent Constitutional Court judgment concerning repeat asylum applications as factors that could expedite the process.
"While we still have a way to go, efficiency gains have already produced the biggest reduction in the refugee appeals backlog in years," Schreiber stated. He emphasized that the reforms aim to improve the efficiency of the asylum system and reduce waiting times for applicants, while maintaining South Africa's constitutional and international obligations.
