South Africa Cuts Refugee Appeals Backlog by Over 12%

During the 2025/26 financial year, RAASA removed 19,064 cases from a protected backlog of 133,582 appeals, cutting that backlog by 14.2%.

South Africa's refugee appeals system has recorded its biggest improvement in years after a series of reforms helped clear thousands of pending cases, easing pressure on a backlog that had built up over decades.

The Department of Home Affairs says the Refugee Appeals Authority of South Africa (RAASA) reduced its active refugee appeals caseload by more than 12%, bringing the number of outstanding appeals down from 79,870 at the end of 2024 to 70,976 by the close of 2025. The reduction represents 8,894 fewer active cases, marking a significant step in speeding up decisions for asylum seekers waiting for the outcome of their appeals.

Reforms help speed up appeal decisions

During the 2025/26 financial year, RAASA removed 19,064 cases from a protected backlog of 133,582 appeals, cutting that backlog by 14.2%. The department said cases were resolved through appeal rulings, voluntary withdrawals by applicants, administrative case closures and paper-based determinations in situations where appellants did not attend their scheduled hearings.

Officials explained that the backlog stretched back more than two decades, with some unresolved refugee appeals dating as far back as 2008. The scale of the accumulated cases had placed considerable strain on the asylum system, making faster processing a priority for the department.

Several operational changes contributed to the improved results. RAASA appointed 40 additional advocate members to strengthen its adjudication teams, increased the number of appeal hearings conducted each day and introduced targeted strategies to deal with high-volume and less complicated appeals more efficiently. The authority also tightened performance management measures to improve productivity across its operations.

Extra legal capacity strengthens the system

The Department of Home Affairs said cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has also expanded, helping improve the quality and consistency of appeal decisions while supporting international protection standards.

At the same time, additional advocates from the Cape Bar are being brought into the system to increase decision-making capacity in the Western Cape, which carries the country's second-largest refugee appeals caseload. The department expects these appointments to further accelerate the pace of case resolutions in one of the busiest regions.

Officials believe strengthening legal expertise across appeal panels will help reduce waiting times without compromising the fairness of decisions or South Africa's legal obligations toward asylum seekers.

Government expects further progress

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the latest figures, describing them as evidence that the reforms are producing measurable improvements. He said the department expects even greater progress following the appointment of more advocates and a recent Constitutional Court judgment dealing with repeat asylum applications.

Schreiber said the improvements already achieved represent the largest reduction in the refugee appeals backlog in several years, adding that more work remains before the system reaches the level of efficiency the department is pursuing.

The department said its broader objective is to build a faster and more effective asylum process that gives applicants timely decisions while continuing to uphold South Africa's constitutional responsibilities and its commitments under international refugee law.