South Africa's Constitutional Court (the country's highest court of appeal) has ruled that foreign nationals whose asylum applications have been rejected cannot reapply, warning that unlimited repeat applications could create a "never-ending cycle" that hinders deportations and causes administrative disorder. The ruling overturned a lower court decision that had favoured two Burundian nationals who reapplied in 2018, citing political violence in their home country following a disputed 2015 presidential election. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the decision as a victory against systemic abuse, as South Africa — which hosts over 167,000 refugees and asylum seekers — faces rising public tensions over undocumented migration and a recent wave of anti-immigrant protests in major cities.