Democratic Alliance MP Haniff Hoosen says the Department of Home
Affairs needs to allocate more funding to immigration in order to deal
with the problems at the refugee reception centres in the country.
On Monday‚ DA leader in Gauteng‚ John Moody‚ got firsthand experience
of how foreign nationals are treated at the Desmond Tutu Refugee
Reception Centre in Marabastad‚ Pretoria.
Moody was first denied access by the security guards and had scuffle
when they said he was not allowed inside. After intervention from a
senior official‚ Moody was allowed in and witnessed how foreign
national are kept like “cattle” inside the facility while they wait
and hope to get asylum status.
Some of the applicants who were waiting outside also explained how
difficult it was for them to get their documents‚ claiming that they
had to bribe their way through.
Meanwhile‚ in the coastal city of Durban‚ Hoosen visited the Durban
Refugee Reception Office‚ which he said was running smoothly �` despite
being under immense pressure.
“We were able to access the facility without any difficulty at all. We
were warmly received by the management of the centre. We had very good
interactions with the applicants at the facility.
“Our

main finding was that that office is incapable of handling the
demand it is facing. It has insufficient staff. There are only four
refugee reception officers. These are the guys who interview each
applicant‚ fill in the necessary document and send it the documents to
the refugee board‚” said Hoosen.
He said some of the asylum seekers were beginning to lose hope that
they would ever have legal residential status in the country.
“The problem is that there are thousands of asylum seekers who have
come to the country and want to comply with the South African law.
They go to that office but cannot get any help because that office
can’t handle the demand.”
On the Marabastad centre‚ Hoosen said the problems at that office need
political leadership.
“For years now‚ the allocation of funding in the department when it
compiles the budget‚ the lease amount of money goes to immigration.
Over the years‚ the problems have compounded…they don’t have proper
facilities‚ they don’t have enough staff and I am not surprised about
the report on Marabastad. This is a problem that has been going on for
years now.” V.2265

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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