South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn a directive that let asylum seekers lodge applications, after refugee offices were swamped and unrest erupted. The directive, which was issued in September, followed a July Constitutional Court ruling that asylum seekers could not be excluded from the asylum process solely because they entered irregularly, lacked an asylum transit visa, or failed to report to a refugee reception office within five days. The ruling did not automatically grant refugee status, permanent residence, or citizenship; applicants must still qualify for protection under the law. However, some protested the processing of asylum applications, with demonstrations turning violent in Durban and Soweto. Nevertheless, the ruling remains in force, and the department has said it will develop a new operational approach to comply with the court’s ruling while managing public safety and processing demands.