World Refugee Day: A discussion on refugee protection and changed circumstances in asylum applications

World Refugee Day, observed each year on 20 June, is an opportunity to reflect on the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers, the protections available to those fleeingpersecution and conflict, and the ongoing challenges within refugee protection systems.In this episode, Elgene Lutshiti, in CDH’s Pro Bono & Human Rights practice, is joined by Monique Schoeman, Senior Attorney at the UCT Refugee Rights Unit, to reflect onrefugee protection in South Africa. The discussion considers the Constitutional Court’s decision in Director-General, Department of Home Affairs and Others v Irankunda and Another, a judgment dealing withfurther asylum applications based on new or changed circumstances, and what this means for access to protection in South Africa. The conversation situates the judgment within the broader realities of refugee protection in South Africa and reflects on why access to fair asylum procedures remains so important.