Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber says it is neither feasible nor legally permissible for South Africa to limit the number of asylum applications it processes annually to 10,000. She cited the recent Constitutional Court ruling that asylum seekers whose applications have finally been rejected may not remain in the country and/or continuously submit new applications. “The department’s priority is therefore not to limit access to the asylum system, but to prevent and eliminate its abuse.” In a separate parliamentary reply in 2025, Schreiber revealed that there were 92,657 asylum seekers in South Africa as of 31 December 2024. These permits allow them to reside in South Africa pending the outcome of their asylum applications.