Pretoria - South African couple Mukhrar and Tasleem Ahmed went on a
pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, but when they wanted to return, they were
barred from entering South Africa.


The couple were held in Dubai after authorities indicated their names
appeared on the V list (undesirable persons) of Home Affairs.
They had to settle in Pakistan for six months, separated from family
and their children who had remained at home in Durban with their
uncle.


The couple initially claimed R3.6 million in the Gauteng High Court,
Pretoria, for the trauma they said they and their children suffered.



The court ordered Home Affairs to pay R700 000 in damages to the
couple and R50 000 to each of their two children, aged 2 and 7 in
2012.


The parents, both Pakistani, were married in terms of Islamic law.


However, Ahmed acquired South African citizenship while his
wife received asylum when she first entered the country.


The couple left the country on August 5, 2012, for a two-week trip to
Saudi Arabia. On their return, they were informed at Dubai airport
that they could not enter South Africa.


Ahmed said after being refused permission to board the flight in
Dubai, they went to Pakistan, where they remained for six months.



The separation from his children caused him sleepless nights and when
they were eventually reunited, the children were terrified that they
would be separated again.


He said he had no idea why his name was on the V list. But in February
2013, Ahmed successfully launched an urgent application that their
names be removed from the list and they be allowed to return home.

But Home Affairs only removed his name from the unwanted person`s list
weeks later.


Sam Langa, an immigration officer, testified that during 2008 he
investigated cases of foreign nationals being in the country
illegally.


While in KwaZulu-Natal on patrol, he stopped a vehicle occupied by a
man and a woman. The man`s ID indicated he was a permanent resident
and married to a South African. The man happened to be Ahmed.


He questioned him about his status in the country and Ahmed told him
he was separated from his first wife, a South African, but now married
to Tasleem.


According to Langa, the man was in contravention of his permit
conditions which allowed him to be in South Africa, as he did not live
with his South African spouse.


Langa then interviewed the first wife, Natalie, and she told him she
and Ahmed had entered into a contract marriage to enable Ahmed to stay
in the country. He said Ahmed was declared an illegal immigrant and
due to be deported. However, he secured his release from Lindela
Repatriation Centre by launching an urgent application. Home Affairs
was interdicted from deporting him.


Langa told the court he was not aware why Ahmed`s name was placed on
the list in the fist place or why it remained there after a judge
ordered it to be removed.


Judge Nomonde Mngqibisa-Thusi found that the couple`s constitutional
rights were violated when Home Affairs did not adhere to a court order
to immediately remove their names from the list.
Pretoria News V.1849

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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