Hundreds of foreign nationals on Wednesday took to the streets of Cape Town, demanding to be relocated from South Africa after camping at the UN refugee agency offices for a week.
The foreigners, many of whom described themselves as asylum-seekers, say they no longer feel safe in South Africa after a surge of xenophobic attacks last month.
"Save lives of refugees before it is too late," said one slogan, painted in green on a white banner.
Many of the protesters have been camping at the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cape Town since October 9, vowing not to leave the premises until the agency addressed their concerns.
The numbers had grown steadily over the past week, spilling out from corridors to the kerb outside the building.
"We marched to parliament for the government to hear us and to send a loud and clear message," said Sylvia Nahimana, a group representative from Burundi.
"We have been negotiating with them since 2008 but the killing still goes on."
"But to function effectively, they must be accompanied by safe, regular migration channels and other stay arrangements."
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