In 2014, the Unit published a refugee law textbook called Refugee Law in South Africa, edited by the Unit’s Director, Fatima Khan, and one of the Unit’s Honorary Research Associates, Tal Schreier. Several staff members also contributed to the book. 

The Unit has successfully published a second edition of Refugee Law in South Africa in 2023. The textbook can be purchased here. 

From the publisher:

Refugee Law in South Africa outlines the existing law relating to refugees as reflected in South African legislation and its growing body of refugee law jurisprudence as at 2013, while also paying heed to relevant international law, which remains central to today’s regime of international refugee protection and international jurisprudence. The book also identifies the practice changes resulting from the government’s recent refugee policy shift and considers what may be expected in the future. 

The topics covered in Refugee Law in South Africa include a detailed analysis of the refugee definition in South African law, the process of applying for refugee status, refugee status determination, and the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. The book concludes with an examination of how immigration law and refugee law in South Africa can be reconciled.