As many as 2600 Zimbabwean refugees were queuing outside the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg on Monday night to be interviewed and registered by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) - though not all of them may know it.

"The question is, are the people who are going to be interviewed... will they know why they are being interviewed," said UNHCR senior registering officer Andrew Hopkins.

On Saturday, refugees living in the church were given tokens as they left the building. Hopkins said the plan had been to inform them, as they left, of what the tokens were for. But this resulted in a crush around the door as people were eager to leave and explanations from aid workers took too long.

Hopkins said Bishop Paul Verryn, who has opened his church to the refugees, decided to hand out the tokens without explanation to avoid a potentially dangerous situation around the exit.

In all 2 533 tokens were handed out, with few instructions about what they were for. The result was gathered en masse outside. A few thousand Zimbabweans, many without tokens or knowledge of what was happening had come to the Church from all over Johannesburg. Some had heard that Home Affairs was handing out asylum papers, others had literally no idea what awaited them inside.

Peace Nandu came because he heard there were asylum papers to be had. He has been working as a teacher at a private college and lives in Malvern.

"They said they were giving asylum papers to Zimbabwean nationals," said Nandu. Who "they" are is not clear. What is clear that for many of those queuing, following rumours and vague instructions have become second nature.

Hopkins acknowledges that many are at the church due to a "pull-in effect" where the presence of aid workers draw in extra refugees seeking help.

He says that is why the tokens were issued. Only those with them will be served by UNHCR.

Hopkins said that 60 Home Affairs and local government employees were taking details from the approximately 2 600 refugees in the church to identify who they were, their 'vulnerabilities" as well as whether any of them had any skills.

On Saturday, MEC for local government Qedana Mahlangu told reporters that six buildings in Johannesburg had been chosen for refugees and that those in the church might be moved out.

Hopkins said there probably would not be enough space at the alternative sites for all those at and around the church.

"I don't think we're looking at a total migration of the people.
There's no way we could move all the people," said Hopkins.

Some of those in the queue said they would not leave the church, even if they were offered alternatives.

Charlene Mudiwa has been living inside the church for three months. She has worked as a waitress to support family members back home.

Mudiwa says that if the church were closed to refugees she would choose to go back to Zimbabwe rather than risk a move to an unknown location in Johannesburg.

"I don't think it would be safe," said Mudiwa. She added that when the xenophobic attacks occurred in May last year, the church remained untouched, "they [the rioters] were afraid to come here," she said.

"If there's another incident like that one [in May], [the new locations] are going to be the first place they come."

Hopkins estimated that only between 200 and 300 of them would be served on Monday night. Registration was being hindered by the church's layout.

"It would be great if we had a perfect environment to do registration, but we don't live in a perfect world," said Hopkins.

He added that setting up the processing area was rushed and that there was pressure to deal with the situation quickly.

"I know it looks like chaos, but we're getting better," he said.