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UCT RESEARCH REPORT 2012
Contact Details
Postal address: Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law,
University of Cape Town,
Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701
Telephone: +27 21 650 5906
Fax: +27 21 650 5183
Web: http://www.lrg.uct.ac.za
Refugee Rights Unit
Director: Ms F. Khan
Unit Profile
The Refugee Rights Unit was founded in 1998 as a Project
within the UCT Law Clinic, aimed at providing legal
support services to the growing number of refugees and
asylum seekers in South Africa. It has since evolved into
a fully independent Unit, with four main components:
the Unit’s Refugee Law Clinic provides direct legal
services to thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in
the Western Cape each year; the Unit conducts applied
research in refugee law and related topics; it teaches
refugee law to undergraduate law and masters’ students
within the Department of Public Law; and, it undertakes a
significant amount of targeted advocacy and training of
government officials, the judiciary, civil society partners
and refugee communities.
The close relationship between the Refugee Law
Clinic’s practice, the Unit’s teaching of Refugee and
Immigration Law courses to LLB and LLM students, and
the Unit’s research is a unique aspect of the Unit’s work.
The Refugee Law Clinic provides the Unit with a close
link to the practical application of refugee law in South
Africa and therefore directly informs and supports
the Unit’s teaching activities and research outputs.
Students often engage with the most current issues
facing refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa,
including those involved in the strategic litigations
undertaken by the Refugee Law Clinic. Students are also
encouraged to volunteer at the Refugee Law Clinic in
order to gain practical experience and fulfil community
service requirements. The Unit’s teaching component
includes the direct supervision of undergraduate and
graduate level research work in the field of refugee and
immigration law.
The Working Paper Series, (http://www.refugeerights.
uct.ac.za/research/working_papers/) publishes the
research reports of the Refugee Rights Unit, occasional
papers of the Unit members and versions of some
of the papers presented by the Refugee Rights Unit
members. A key focus of the Working Papers is the
promotion of the rights of refugees in South Africa and
the global South.
The Refugee Rights Unit remains not only committed
to directly assisting refugees and asylum seekers but
also in teaching and engaging in research which can be
used to promote and further the law in this area and as
an advocacy tool in the future.
Unit Staff
Ms F. Khan Rights of refugees and their integration into the
host country
Ms T. Schreier (Senior Attorney and Research Manager)
International and human rights law, South African refugee
law and analyzing refugee legislation in SADC
Unit Attorneys and Researchers
Mr J. Chapman
Mr J. de Jage
Ms M. Schoeman
Unit Candidate Attorneys
Ms N Magazi
Contact Details
Postal address: Refugee Rights Unit
Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of
Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701
Telephone: +27 21 650 5632
Fax: +27 21 650 4107
Web: http://www.refugeerights.uct.ac.za
Department of Public Law
Research output
Authored books
Ackermann, L.W.H. 2012. Human Dignity: Lodestar for
Equality in South Africa. 405pp. Claremont, Cape Town:
Juta Law. ISBN 9780702199011.
Cartwright, J. and Shearing, C.D. 2012. Where's the
Chicken? Making South Africa Safe. 140pp. Kenilworth,
Cape Town: Jacana Media ISBN 9780987005830.
Holley, N., Gunningham, N. and Shearing, C.D. 2012. The
New Environmental Governance. 216pp. Abingdon, Oxon:
Earthscan. ISBN 9781849714105.