Refugees can't renew permits because offices are closed
A Zimbabwean asylum seeker says First National Bank (FNB) froze his account when his asylum papers expired during lockdown in spite of explanations from the Department of Home Affairs that refugee offices are closed.
The Department of Home Affairs issued a statement on 14 April saying: "Any asylum seeker whose visa expired from 16 March 2020 to the end of the lockdown period will not be penalised or arrested provided that they legalise their visa within 30 calendar days of the lockdown being lifted".
He said he had visited FNB in March and been told the accounts had been frozen for "authenticity verification" with Home Affairs.
In an email to GroundUp on 20 May, FNB spokesperson Yashen Singh said, "FNB can confirm that its foreign national customers' bank accounts are managed in accordance with the relevant laws, including the temporary concession issued by the Department of Home Affairs."
Asked why the bank is freezing asylum seekers' accounts in spite of the Home Affairs announcement, another spokesperson, Tsietsi Mahlasela told GroundUp on the phone on 20 May that she could not comment without the personal information of each complainant.
