In South Africa, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has a Big-Hairy-Ambitious-Goal: to significantly reduce the high levels of xenophobia towards refugees. Most of the approximately 500.000 refugees entering South Africa annually have an illegal status and form a threat to the already huge unemployment problem in the country. One of the key UNHCR roles is to work closely with the Government’s Department of Home Affairs and other partners to create awareness and build tolerance toward refugees and asylum-seekers through public information campaigns against xenophobia and interventions at the community level designed to facilitate dialogue.
