The South African government has withdrawn a directive on processing asylum applications following xenophobic clashes between foreign nationals and anti-immigration protesters that left vehicles burnt and foreign-owned shops looted. The Department of Home Affairs announced the withdrawal on Friday, saying the directive had triggered serious consequences and overwhelmed refugee reception offices within days. The department said its officials had been placed at risk and that serious threats to public safety and order had emerged, adding that it would begin a fresh process. The directive had required refugee reception offices to process asylum applications following a Constitutional Court ruling that certain procedural barriers facing asylum seekers were unconstitutional.
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