Refugees/Asylum Seekers and the Problem of Adjustment in South Africa

Asmamaw Agaze, University of North West

Presently there is an increasing number of refugees and asylum seekers fleeing into South Africa. These refugees and asylum seekers are predominantly male (73.14%) who are young and single (65.3%). These refugees had to flee from their country of origin to South Africa mainly because of ecological/enviromental, political, war and some other factors. In South Africa the refugee population has encountered quite a number of problems ranging from targeted robbery, unemployment, uninformed decision of the asylum process, negative attitude of both the media and the local people and lack of assistance from both governmental and non-governmental organizations including the UNHCR. The net effect of all these factors on the refugee population is dissatisfaction, stress, hopelessness, and lack of self –reliance/independence and maladjustment. Although there is a very young and dominantly single refugee population, the absence of educational opportunities seems darkening the future of this population. This study addresses the issue of refugees/asylum seekers and the problem of adjustment in South Africa for the period since 1994.