Schreiber forges ahead with initiative to deport undocumented foreigners

Home affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says in the coming year, his department will intensify inspections at restaurants, spaza shops, farms and mines by over 50% and take action – including deportations – against people illegally employed.

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 naturalised citizens. He said 280 cards had already been issued and 697 were in progress.

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

Schreiber also announced that home affairs would urgently reactivate the Immigration Advisory Board. It will provide him with “evidence-based advice” on tackling matters such as the process of consultation on the future of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit.

In his maiden budget vote speech in parliament, he said home affairs would focus on:

• Addressing visa backlogs and failure to process applications timeously;

• Safeguarding South Africa’s borders;

• Reducing queues by ensuring the online system worked effectively;

• Expanding 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, he said, 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.”

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He added: “This is especially urgent because the department is currently inundated with costly court cases it cannot afford.

“In many instances, these cases stem from a simple inability to process applications in a timely manner – forcing clients to seek judicial relief.” Securing SA porous borders was “another side of the coin” – while attracting investment and tourism.

“South Africa needs to do much more to combat illegal immigration,” said Schreiber. “It is central to our national security, but also out of our commitment to economic growth.

“The reality is that no-one will want to visit or invest if we allow our country to lose control over its borders and internal security.”

Branching out

On shortening queues at home affairs offices, he said the department was “expanding our footprint and taking services closer to the people”.

“I am pleased to report that the project to expand into shopping malls has seen the opening of conveniently located offices in Menlyn Mall in Pretoria, Cresta Mall in Johannesburg and Pavilion Mall in eThekwini.”

On corruption, he said: “Theft, fraud and other forms of maladministration, pose an existential threat to the vision for a dignified home affairs that powers economic growth.

“This includes devaluing our official documents.

“Although the announcement by Ireland last week that citizens of South Africa and Botswana now require visas to visit the country did not specifically mention this issue, I am still going to request a meeting with the Irish ambassador, to understand the extent to which concerns over corruption influenced this regrettable decision.”

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