PAKISTANI sheep shearer Jabba Ahmed thought he would be able to use
his skills and contribute to the economy when he sought asylum in
South Africa five years ago.


But the 21-year-old`s future hangs in the balance. He and other asylum
seekers are embroiled in a legal battle with the Department of Home
Affairs which could end up in the Constitutional Court.


The bone of contention is a directive issued in February by home
affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni, which excludes failed asylum
seekers from applying for temporary residence permits.


Litigation ensued after the department rejected Ahmed`s application
for a critical skills visa.


Immigration regulations list sheep shearing as one of the skills
entitling foreigners to be considered for a "critical skills visa or
permanent residence permit".


Ahmed`s appeal against the department`s refusal to grant him refugee
status is pending before the Refugees Appeal Board, and he
successfully appealed to the Cape Town High Court last week against
Apleni`s directive.


Cape Town immigration lawyer Tashriq Ahmed and three asylum seekers
whose application have been rejected, including the sheep shearer,
successfully argued that the directive should be set aside.


They said it was irrational and unconstitutional, and contravened
another court order directing Home Affairs officials to "accept
applications for visas or permanent residence permits from foreigners
even though they might be asylum seekers whose applications for
refugee status are still pending".


Acting Judge Mark Sher found that Apleni acted "arbitrarily and
irrationally" in issuing the directive and ordered the department to
pay costs and to consider the asylum seekers` permit
applications.


But Ahmed`s joy was short lived. This week, home affairs lodged an
application for leave to appeal to the full bench of the court or to
the Supreme Court of Appeal.


Ahmed told the Sunday Times all he wanted was legal status and the
opportunity to do what he loves.


"There were a lot of problems in my country when I decided to fled to
South Africa in 2011," he said.


"I come from an area close to the Indian border which was plagued by
terrorist attacks on a daily basis.


"I love Cape Town. It is a beautiful city, I feel safe here and I want
to

work legally. I love sheep shearing, it is my passion. I am
frustrated by what is happening right now, my life is in
suspense."


Ahmed said he had received many job offers but the lack of a permit
was hindering him.


The other asylum seekers who took on home affairs were Kuzikesa
Swinda, an information technology specialist from Democratic Republic
of the Congo, and Arifa Fahme from India.


Swinda also applied for a critical skills visa but his application was
also rejected pending his asylum claim currently before the Refugees
Appeal Board. Fahme has a five-year general work permit, expiring in
2020, which entitles him to work as a manager in a shop in Piketberg.



The department rejected his wife`s application for asylum. She then
applied for a visitor`s permit to be able to live with her husband and
four children. But VFS Global, an agent for the department, rejected
it based on Apleni`s directive.


Lawyer Tashriq Ahmed said litigating against the department had
drained his resources as most of the legal costs came out of his
pocket, although he was helped by the Forum of Immigration
Practitioners of South Africa. But he vowed to fight all the way to
the Constitutional Court.


His is planning a stand-up show to raise funds, and intends
approaching NGOs and other concerned lawyers.


"If the department thinks that we are going to stop, we are not," he
said.


"We are going to stop. "We are going to take this fight all the way to
the Constitutional Court" said Ahmed
"The directive is unconstitutional because a women cannot be with her
husband at the moment. If she gets deported it is against the
constitution and her dignity is impaired. "[Ahmed`s] dignity is
impaired because he has got a skill. He applied for [a critical skills
visa] and it should be granted," said the lawyer.


. We say the directive is unconstitutional because a woman cannot be
with her husband at the moment. If she gets deported it is against the
constitution and her dignity is impaired.


"(Ahmed`s) dignity is impaired because he has got a skill. He applied
for (a critical skills visa) and it should be granted." V.1791

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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