‘This is not how we wanted to live’ — asylum seekers in SA desperate as impact of US funding cuts spreads

‘They were killing us. Anyone who supported that party was seen as an enemy. They were killing us and our family members – some of my relatives, I don’t even know where they are today. My life was in danger because they were looking for me, and I had nowhere to hide. That’s why I had to leave. I didn’t want to, but I had to.”

This is how *Asher – forced to flee his home in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – described to Daily Maverick how he became an asylum seeker in South Africa in 2007.

Asher said he was a vocal supporter of a political party, the name of which he chose not to disclose to protect his identity and out of fear of persecution. The party had contested the 2006 election to fight for the freedom and rights of future generations, but after its loss he became a political target and was forced to flee for his life.

Like many of the approximately 250,000 refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa, Asher had no support system and received little assistance from the government. Instead, he relied on civil society organisations for social aid – until January, when US President Donald Trump froze all foreign aid to humanitarian organisations.

The foreign aid cuts initially began as a 90-day funding freeze, with Trump claiming that USAID’s work was “not aligned with American interests”. However, on 27 February, the Trump administration issued a notice stating that all US funding to these programmes would be permanently terminated.

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and Refugee Social Services (RSS), South African organisations that help refugees and asylum seekers, confirmed that the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) had withdrawn funding, severely affecting their services.

According to PRM’s website, the bureau was established to promote “US interests by working to reduce illegal migration, provide humanitarian assistance to those fleeing persecution, crisis or violence, and seek durable solutions for forcibly displaced people around the world”.

Essential services under threat

“It is incredible how far this has gone. Obviously, the medical side with the Pepfar cuts is huge, but if you look at individuals who have fled war, torture and persecution, they are an incredibly vulnerable group that lacks proper provision,” said James Chapman, head of advocacy and legal advice at Scalabrini.

Chapman said the withdrawal of aid from PRM had significantly affected Scalabrini’s programmes, with about 40% of the organisation’s funding cut. This had resulted in the closure of critical programmes, including extensive support for the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into communities, livelihood support and basic needs assistance for those who have escaped violence and persecution.

“Take, for example, someone who was receiving assistance to integrate into the workplace to contribute to the economy – that economic contribution is now lost. English classes, computer literacy, skills development and even basic support for the most vulnerable have all been reduced or suspended entirely,” Chapman explained.

He added that because of South Africa’s urban refugee policy – under which asylum seekers and refugees are expected to be self-sufficient – it is vital for them to receive support from civil society organisations to avoid becoming burdens on the state.

City officials evict refugees living in the area around the Central Methodist Church in the Cape Town CBD on 1 March 2020. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)

Families left without lifelines

RSS provides psychosocial support, safe spaces and social protection for vulnerable refugee and asylum-seeking communities, including the elderly, people living with disabilities and children.

Yasmin Rajah, executive director of the KwaZulu-Natal-based organisation, told Daily Maverick that PRM funding had provided financial assistance for these groups.

“It was not much, but we made sure that what we gave them was in line with what Sassa grant recipients were receiving. Now that the funding has been cut, we have had to suspend that service,” she said.

Asher, who has two children, relied on the grant from RSS to care for his eldest, who is on the autism spectrum and largely non-verbal.

“I have to take my child to the hospital for appointments at least twice a week. I have tried to work, but every time I get fired because my employers say I am absent too much. That money from RSS was the only thing ensuring that my family had food and that my child could get medication. Now, I cannot pay school fees, I cannot pay rent and I cannot work. This is not how I saw myself living when I left the DRC,” Asher said.

‘We are suffering’

“These two months have been a problem for me and my children. I cannot work, so I do not have money. I am suffering – I can’t even explain it to you,” *Nathalie told Daily Maverick.

Nathalie, another refugee from the DRC, is a single mother of two. Her youngest child, a five-year-old, has a number of disabilities.

“I was working before my youngest was born, but my child cannot see and uses a wheelchair. I cannot put her in a crèche because many people do not have the heart to take care of a child with disabilities. I am afraid to leave her with others because I don’t know what will happen to her. Now, I need to stay home and care for her,” she said.

Even when she was receiving financial help from RSS, finding specialised childcare was nearly impossible.

“Most of the money I received went towards transporting my child to and from the hospital, paying for medication, buying food and covering basic needs. Now, my child needs to take tablets, but I can’t give them to her because there is no food and no money to buy either. This makes me feel so helpless. Even now, I cannot speak because of the pain I feel in my heart,” Nathalie said.

A forgotten population

As asylum seekers, neither Asher nor Nathalie qualifies for grants or other government assistance from South Africa’s Department of Social Development. RSS had filled that gap, but with the withdrawal of PRM funding, many refugees are now without a safety net.

Despite the funding crisis, Rajah said RSS is exploring ways to continue providing support.

“We have had donations from a few local people and faith-based organisations in the area. What we worry about the most is what people are eating. The churches are trying to fill the gap and have provided food parcels, which have helped a lot – but it is not enough.”

For refugees like Asher and Nathalie, the loss of aid has made an already difficult life even harder. Without urgent intervention, thousands of asylum seekers and refugees in South Africa face deepening poverty and isolation, with little hope of relief.

Source: DM