Amid ongoing global crises such as war, genocide, and gender-based violence, forced displacement continues to drive individuals across borders, with many seeking refuge in South Africa since 1994. Despite the country’s reputation as a “rainbow nation,” refugees face significant barriers to integration, notably due to restricted access to legal documentation, which limits their rights to healthcare, education, and employment. While existing research has focused broadly on migrants and refugees, little attention has been given to the lived experiences of refugees residing in makeshift camps. This study investigates the everyday experiences of refugees in a Cape Town camp, examining their interactions with South Africans in bureaucratic spaces and exploring how they navigate issues of access, agency, and embodiment. Employing a walking methodology alongside audio recordings, participant observation, fieldnotes, and interviews, the research offers a sociolinguistic perspective on how refugees strive to claim basic human rights in a nation grappling with its own history of exclusion.