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Johannesburg. — The South African government yesterday criticised the Human Rights Watch report on the country. “Our statistics on asylum seekers and registration of refugees indicates that South Africa is fully responsive to human rights obligations,” said minister of home affairs Naledi Pandor.
“We are in the main a country that welcomes those who seek refuge and offers them protection,” minister Pandor added.
The Human Rights Watch World Report 2014, released on Tuesday, warned that South African human rights were taking a turn for the worst and claimed the country was becoming more hostile to foreigners.
Admitting that “we have worrying incidents of attacks against foreign nationals and xenophobia and these have to be challenged and addressed by our country,” minister Pandor said, “It would be difficult to find a country in the UN that is as welcoming as our country”.
On Tuesday, the Department of Police also slammed the Human Rights Watch report on South Africa, saying it is “subjective” in the assessment of the country’s police. — Xinhua.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu