South Africa has said it is unable to take in refugees from Afghanistan.

“South Africa is already home to a substantial number of refugees and is seized with addressing their needs,” the Department of International Relations said in a statement.

It said it had been requested to accommodate refugees who were in Pakistan, and on their way to other countries.

South Africa was not in a position to accept them as “the refugees will be best served by remaining in Pakistan, their first country of arrival”, the statement said.

Some other African countries, including Rwanda and Uganda, have agreed to host Afghan refugees as they wait to be resettled in other countries.