South African Minister Of Home Affairs Forges Ahead With Initiative To Deport Undocumented Foreigners

By: Thandeka Kosa, South Africa

South African Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, has said that in the coming year, his department will intensify inspections at restaurants, spaza shops, farms and mines by over 50% and act – including deportations – against people illegally employed.

According to The Citizen, a local news publication in South Africa, the initiative was started under his predecessor, Aaron Motsoaledi, who earlier this year called for harsher sanctions against business owners who knowingly employ undocumented foreigners.

Schreiber said: “The department was working on the provision of smart ID cards to naturalized citizens. The 280 cards had already been issued and 697 were in progress.”

“Once the system has been adjusted to verify compliant applications, all naturalized citizens will be able to visit any home affairs office equipped with live-capture facilities to apply for their smart ID cards,” the minister further stated.

The system will provide the minister with “evidence-based advice” on tackling matters such as the process of consultation on the future of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit, known as ZEP.

In his maiden budget vote speech in parliament, he stated that the Department of Home Affairs would focus on the following addressing visa backlogs and failure to process applications timeously; Safeguarding South Africa’s borders and reducing queues by ensuring the online system worked effectively.

He also said he would expand home affairs footprint through introducing infrastructure and mobile trucks; tackling corruption; and strengthening international migration and refugee protection – in line with the provisions of the constitution.

To be effective in unlocking scarce skills, growing tourism and creating jobs, Schreiber said home affairs must urgently clear the backlog in the processing of permits.

The department had set up a dedicated team to reduce backlogs.

“Our dedicated team has already reduced the backlog by processing 92 886 applications out of a total of 306 042,” the Minister said.

Photo credit: Vhahangwele Nemakonde and Brian Sokutu