CTRC Overview

Taken from the CTRC website: (http://www.ctrc.co.za/)

"The Cape Town Refugee Centre is a non-profit, non-government organisation that caters to the interests and needs of vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers in the Western Cape. The Cape Town Refugee Forum, as it was originally 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 and others, as well as representatives of refugees and asylum seekers and a number of concerned local individuals.

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/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.

Our mission is to engage refugees and asylum seekers in improving the quality of their lives through capacity building, education, psychological and emotional support, networking, lobbying, advocacy and integration into their host communities. In partnership with other local, national, and international organizations and individuals, CTRC continues working to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive community in the Western Cape in which refugees and asylum seekers can thrive.

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."