Secure borders or deportations? Home Affairs minister says we need both

The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs met on 5 November to discuss progress made within the department.

On the agenda was the Government Printing Works (GPW), the proposal of a one-stop border post bill and issues relating to a court ruling on the Immigration Act.

Minister Leon Schreiber was present to take on the portfolio committee’s recommendations, while also reiterating his belief in the department’s greater importance in the everyday lives of South Africans.

Home Affairs to uphold rule of law

Schreiber took a tough stance on illegal immigration, saying that South Africa should not be seen as a “free-for-all” that did not take the rule of law seriously.

He repeated his invitation to legal visitors, saying South Africa must welcome economically active immigrants and tourists alike.

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Upholding immigration laws through a strong Border Management Authority (BMA) and effecting deportations went hand in hand, Schreiber explained.

“I don’t think it should be viewed as a false dichotomy, saying you can either have secure borders or you can have deportations.

“The truth is we need to have both if we want to face the deficiencies that we face in terms of the rule of law,” said Schreiber.

He concluded by saying that everything the department was working on was steps toward achieving the central aims of efficiency, modernisation and zero-tolerance towards lawlessness.

Items on agenda

Outstanding recommendations on the GPW were addressed, as was the development of the Refugees Amendment Bill, which is being consulted on internally.

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In line with Schreiber’s push for efficiency, Home Affairs is proposing a draft bill for one-stop border posts that would negate the need to have two checkpoints at border crossings.

“By definition, it will require us to have cooperation between land border neighbours,” Schreiber said, again stressing the need for a tough stance on criminality.

Another key concern was the judgement of Rayment and Others vs Minister of Home Affairs in the Western Cape High Court.

The judgement dealt with the legality of extending visas to parents of South African-born minors when marriages end.

The committee had reservations about provisions from the judgement being read into statutes and recommended the Minister address this “defect”.

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