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Multi-party task team to look at challenges of foreign reintegration
9 September 2008
Parliament: As the deadline looms for the refugees to move out of temporary shelters, Parliament's task team will meet civil society, South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), representatives of foreign nationals and provincial governments to evaluate the reintegration plans.
The foreign nationals were displaced from their communities by the xenophobic violence that broke out in May. They were housed in temporary shelters. The meeting will assess the reintegration process in Gaiting and the Western Cape, as well as look at the challenges encountered in the process.
The team's objective is to facilitate dialogue between civil society, government and other relevant stakeholders in relation to the closure of the shelters. It will also look at ways to provide better protection to the displaced refugees.
The team has said that successful reintegration requires full and timeout access to relevant information by all stakeholders, reconciliation, safety as well as full integration into community life.
It has also said that reintegration plans must take into account not only those who are still in camps, but all people at risk, including those who have left the shelters. The plans should also not exacerbate resentments of perceived privilege and must wherever possible benefit the receiving community.
Issued by: Parliament of South Africa
9 September 2008