Jopie Fourie
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'Our blood does not want to be spilled in the land of South Africa,' say refugees
Refugees in Cape Town are begging the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to remove them from South Africa.
For two weeks, the walkway of the Waldorf Arcade has housed rows of makeshift bedding, screaming children and exhausted refugees begging the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to remove them from South Africa, GroundUp reported.
"They are killing us, burning us alive, looting our shops," said Eke Lyke Chibuzor, a refugee from Nigeria, who has been in South Africa for the past six years. "Sometimes I feel like I'm a slave in this country. Our blood does not want to be spilled in the land of South Africa."
The UNHCR released a statement on October 9, when the protest started, stating: "We acknowledge the issues they raised, including employment and self-reliance, documentation, and personal security concerns. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is working closely with the South African authorities to continue providing protection through the issuance of appropriate identity documentation, to facilitate access to health care, education and employment opportunities for all refugees and asylum seekers."