Cape Town — The Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC)
set up to look at migration, Minister Jeff Radebe, says government is
reviewing South Africa's migration policy in a bid to deal with the
strain between locals and foreign nationals that has affected some
communities.


Minister Radebe, who is also responsible for the Ministry of Planning,
Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, said this when briefing
Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee on Violence against Foreign Nationals on
Tuesday.


He said a heavy influx of foreign nationals has led to migration laws
not being adhered to due to border management laxity and the visa
waiver to Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries,
among others, which has led to foreign nationals staying in the
country longer than they should be.


This, coupled with other causes like socio-economic conditions and
unfair business practices, has necessitated the IMC to look into this
and other interventions.


"The Department of Home Affairs is reviewing South Africa's migration
policy and intends tabling a green paper in the Forum of South African
Directors-General during the third quarter of the current financial
year.


"Cabinet has also approved the Refugee Amendment Bill in September
2015 for tabling in Parliament," he said.


The Minister said the review of the country's migration policy was one
of several interventions through which government was responding to
underlying root causes and tensions that led to attacks on foreign
nationals in April 2015 in various parts of the country.


Other interventions would include:


- Addressing the asylum seekers' backlog through the immediate funding
and capacitating of the Standing Committee on Refugee Affairs and
Refugee Appeals Board;


- Restricting the

movement of asylum applicants to a single
magisterial district through the setting up of decentralised refugee
reception centres at ports of entry;


- Funding and capacitating of Immigration Services (IMS) to empower
the inspectorate, revamp ports of entry as well as to create the
necessary systems to deal with migration and,
- Controlling the inflow of migrants by setting a tolerance threshold
or a quota system.


The Minister also said government would revisit South Africa's
accession to the relevant United Nation conventions without
reservation and amend the country's Refugees Act accordingly.


Over and above this, government would also develop a comprehensive
strategy with SADC states for managing migration into South
Africa.


To improve border management, Minister Radebe said government will
fund, capacitate and deploy the requisite South African National
Defence Force companies to the borderline.


He said this would go hand-in-hand with expediting the construction of
border fences and the establishment of patrol roads.


While government was mobilising and involving communities in
borderline security management, it was also working hard to eradicate
corruption and illegal activities at ports of entry and the
borderline.


"In the aftermath of the attacks, foreign nationals were reintegrated
while some were voluntarily repatriated.


"The Technical Task Team of Directors-General on Migration held
successful meetings with African diaspora groups to discuss their
challenges.


"[The task team also] communicated government's expectations of their
communities in terms of adherence to South African law and
regulations," he said. V.1384

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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