Durban - More than 1 000 refugees desperately awaiting citizenship
documentation, are living in fear that they will be deported to their
war-ravaged countries if the Department of Home Affairs does not get
its house in order.
Since May last year, refugees from Burundi, the Democratic Republic
of Congo and Ethiopia have gone back to the Home Affairs offices
every two months, only to be told they would have to return because
there were no interpreters to assist them.
Yasmin Rajah, of Refugee Social Services, said the refugees had left
their homes because of conflict.
“The South African refugee law states that anyone from outside the
country can apply for asylum if they have fled persecution due to
political opinion, belonging to a particular social group, race,
nationality, religion and if there is generalised conflict in the
area.
“They cannot be sent back home until their claim is investigated.
Currently, they are not even able to apply and this is leaving people
unprotected,” she said.
Rajah explained that those who sought asylum in South Africa had to
present themselves at any one of the Refugee Reception Centres around
the country.
“They have to give reasons as to why they are seeking refuge.
“They then get a temporary document to say that they have applied for
the correct documentation. This prevents police from deporting them,”
Rajah said.
Initially, there were people available to assist with translating.
Rajah said that there was a central call centre and people who spoke
the same

language were requested to come on the same day, to make it
easier to translate.
“The people who come to us have said there are less people at the
call centre.
“So those who have gone for help are told to come back two months
later. When they go back two months later, they are sent back. This
is causing a backlog,” she said.
Rajah said people were sometimes told that the applications were
full.
She said with police and law enforcement agencies pushing Operation
Fiela 2 efforts, asylum seekers were living in fear that they would
be sent back home.
Rajah said some applicants had had applications declined. However,
they were unable to query why they had been turned down.
Rajah said there were also children seeking refuge, which meant they
were unable to get into school or have access to basic human rights.
Thandeka Duma, of Lawyers for Human Rights, said they had tried their
best to assist those in need.
She said they gave asylum seekers who had faced issues with Home
Affairs a letter to state that they had begun the process of seeking
the necessary documentation.
“However, this is not a legal document but is merely meant to help.
We have dealt with more than 1 000 such cases. These are simply
letters of protection. The clients say they are told that Home
Affairs is fully booked,” Duma said.
The Department of Home Affairs could not be reached for comment at
the time of publication. V.2145

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article