Home Affairs committee calls for reforms and additional staff at Tshwane refugee centre as applications pile up

The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has called on the Department of Home Affairs to tackle significant capacity challenges at the Tshwane Refugee Reception Centre.

This plea followed a site visit on Tuesday prompted by the tragic death of an individual due to a stampede at the facility in August.

The committee raised concerns about inadequate staffing levels.

“We understand the budgetary pressure faced by all government departments especially as it relates to compensation of employees,” said the committee chairperson, Mosa Chabane.

“It will be important to increase the current staff to enable the centre to process the substantial application it receives,” he said.

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Corruption threatens the immigration integrity

The committee also highlighted corruption issues that threaten to undermine the integrity of immigration processes.

It urged the department’s anti-corruption unit to intensify its efforts against syndicates compromising the country’s immigration laws.

“Corruption and fraud subvert our country’s laws and undermine the good work done by many officials within the department.

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“Also, the fraudulent obtaining of documents feeds into the negative perception against all foreign nationals, even those that obtained them legally,” Chabane said.

A fully digitised system

Despite the challenges, the committee praised the digitisation efforts to reduce application backlogs, affirming a digital system is essential for secure Home Affairs.

“A secure Home Affairs that delivers quality and seamless services must be anchored on a fully digitised system that also controls the traffic to the centre.”

According to Chabane, the committee emphasised the need for a robust appointment system to regulate application flow.

‘Processes underway’

Committee members also welcomed the introduction of the One Stop Border Post Bill in Parliament, which they believe could significantly alleviate issues related to the locations of refugee reception centres across the country.

In addition, the committee engaged with the Border Management Authority (BMA) to discuss the integration of staff and the procurement of necessary tools for effective operations.

Chabane said they were reassured that these processes are underway and critical for the BMA’s success.

The committee is set to visit the Civic Services unit of the Department of Home Affairs on Wednesday and attend a briefing at the Government Printing Works regarding the 2023/24 annual report.

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