About Us

The Cape Town Refugee Forum as it was origally named, was established in 1994 by an alliance of organisations such as the Red Cross Society of South Africa, The Trauma Centre, Catholic Welfare and Development, Catholic Justice and Peace, the Salesians, as well as representatives of refugees and asylum seekers and a number of local individuals. In light of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, many of the South African exiles whom had gone to Angola and Zimbabwe during Apartheid began to return “home.”  A large number of Angolans flooded into South Africa during this same period of time (1992-1996) in order to escape the Angolan Civil War.  Both displaced groups were assisted by the Cape Town Refugee Centre, though aid then was primarily material: food, rent, and clothing.  The continued occurrence of political conflicts across sub-Saharan Africa (such as those of the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, and Somalia) has displaced yet more individuals into South Africa, and resultantly the Cape Town Refugee Centre has extended assistance over the past 1.5 decades to an entire range of asylum populations

The Forum was created with the aim of devising ways to address problems facing the growing number of refugees and asylum seekers in the Western Cape.  By 2001, the decision was made to operate as a non-profit organisation with a new constitution, a management board, and a new name: The Cape Town Refugee Centre.

It must be emphasized that refugees and asylum seekers are not illegal immigrants, but are people who have legal rights to international protection in terms of the United Nations Refugee Convention, to which South Africa is a signatory. They are people who have been forced to flee from war or persecution in their own countries. Many arrive in South Africa with nothing, as they have to flee leaving all their possessions behind. CTRC plays an essential role in the transition into their host communities.

Although there are other organisations in the Western Cape which assist refugees and asylum seekers, the Centre is the only one that has a comprehensive approach to service provision.  The Cape Town Refugee Centre enjoys local, national, and international recognition and is held in high regard by peer organisations, as we believe in working together with other partners in order to effectively and efficiently address the needs of our clientele.

CTRC is a member of the Tutumike Network (Let Us Work Together), a Western Cape network of nongovernmental organisations promoting the rights of refugees, and is an affiliate of the National Consortium on Refugee Affairs.

CTRC is an implementing partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR, the organisation’s main source of financial support. 

For a more extensive list of organisations and departments that the CTRC works with, please visit the Partners & Alliances link.