ACDP opposes decision to close down refugee camps

By Cindy Witten
14 August 2008

Many political parties have taken against government’s proposal to close down refugee camps, housing foreign nationals. The ACDP, one of the parties opposed to the decision is on the parliamentary task team that has been dealing with issues around the outbreak of xenophobia.

Cheryllyn Dudley, ACDP Member of Parliament insists that this is not the time to close down the refugee camps.
“The ACDP welcomes this multi-party decision that the camps cannot be closed on Friday”.
The party has implored for government not to insist that UNHCR take down the tents.
“The ACDP feels that it would be cruel to do so, because the foreign nationals are fearful of returning and they’ve been offered no assurances whatsoever for their safety,” says Dudley.

She says that the 35,000 people who will be affected by Friday’s action may be a small percentage of the original number affected, but they are a significant number, and if the situation is not handled correctly, the government will simply be inviting more attacks which will lead to another crisis.