Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rebuffed a Saudi demand Wednesday for
Canada to fix what it calls a `big mistake` - a reference to the
Trudeau government raising concerns about the jailing of human rights
activists in the kingdom.
The diplomatic brawl between Canada and Saudi Arabia shows no signs of
abating after the kingdom`s foreign affairs minister publicly demanded
that Canada withdraw its criticism of his country`s human rights
record �` something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to do Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, Adel al-Jubeir said there will be no
reconciliation between the two countries unless Canada recants its
condemnation of Saudi Arabia`s decision to jail prominent women`s
rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah.
`Canada knows what it needs to do,` he said.
Trudeau said Canada will not apologize for standing up for Canadian
values and human rights �` even if it risks ruffling the feathers of a
global partner.

`Canadians have always expected our government to speak strongly,
firmly and politely about the need to respect human rights around the
world. We will continue to stand up for Canadian values and human
rights. It`s something that I will always do,` the prime minister told
reporters after an announcement in Montreal.
`We continue to engage diplomatically and politically with the
government of Saudi Arabia [but] Canada will always speak strongly in
private and in public on questions of human rights. People around the
world expect that kind of leadership from Canada. We will remain firm.`
Badawi is the sister of Raif Badawi, a Saudi dissident blogger who has
been imprisoned by the Saudi government since 2012 on charges of
apostasy and `insulting Islam through electronic channels.` Raif
Badawi`s wife, Ensaf Haidar, and their three children have been living
in Quebec since 2015 after fleeing the kingdom.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland sent a tweet last week
saying she was alarmed by Badawi`s imprisonment and calling for the
release of `peaceful` human rights activists �` a statement which drew
the ire of the Middle Eastern kingdom`s governing monarchy.
`A mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected,` al-Jubeir
said Wednesday. `Canada needs to fix its big mistake.`

Saudi Arabia`s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir says Canada must
withdraw its recent criticism of his country`s human rights record.
A subsequent tweet from the Saudi foreign affairs ministry said the
country would not `accept dictates` or `interference` in its internal
affairs from Canada.
`The matter is not about human rights; it is a matter of national
security. Saudi Arabia build (sic) relations based on mutual respect,
respect for the sovereignty of states and not interfering in the
affairs of other countries,` one of the Saudi government tweets said.
Trudeau confirmed Freeland had a telephone conversation with her Saudi
counterpart on Tuesday, and lines of communication between the two
countries remain open.
In addition to dealing directly with Saudi Arabia, a government
official speaking on background told CBC News that Freeland is calling
or arranging calls with countries in Europe and the Middle East to see
if they can help resolve this standoff.
Freeland has already spoken with Sweden and Germany, two countries
that have had similar battles with Saudi Arabia in the past.
The official told CBC News that commenting on human rights is a key
part of the Trudeau government`s foreign policy and that approach is
not about to change. The official said that Freeland privately raised
human rights concerns directly with the Saudi foreign minister earlier
this year in Bangladesh, during a meeting of the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers.
Trudeau, meanwhile, said he doesn`t want Canada to have `poor
relations` with the kingdom.
`This is a country that has some importance around the world. It is
making progress when it comes to human rights. But, at the same time,
we have to speak out about the challenges there and elsewhere,`
Trudeau said in French.
The government has faced criticism from some quarters �` from former
Conservative foreign affairs minister Peter MacKay, among others �` for
admonishing Saudi

Arabia through a tweet, rather than voicing concerns
through the normal diplomatic channels.
But Trudeau said Canada is in direct discussions with countries around
the world and that he saw nothing wrong with using modern
communication tools to share Canada`s concerns.

Prime Minster Justin Trudeau explains why his government sometimes
uses twitter to get its diplomatic message out to the public 0:21
`We will continue to make statements and we will continue to use the
full range of methods of communication as appropriate,` he said.
`We have to use as many tools as we can to get our message out across
in the modern world,` he added in French.
Al-Jubeir`s comments come as the country �` an autocratic state
controlled by the House of Saud �` recalls Saudi nationals attending
Canadian universities and pulls Saudi patients from Canadian hospitals.
Saudi Arabia reviewing Canadian investments
The Financial Times reported Wednesday that the country`s rulers also
have asked asset managers to sell Saudi-owned stakes in Canadian
enterprises. The country also will stop purchasing Canadian wheat and
barley �` a trade move that is not expected to be all that damaging,
since Canada hasn`t sold any wheat or barley to the kingdom this year.
The fate of a $15 billion deal to sell Saudi Arabia light-armoured
vehicles (LAVs) from London, Ont.-based General Dynamics remains unknown.
The kingdom is considering `other measures,` al-Juberi said without
elaborating. Saudi Arabia already has expelled the Canadian ambassador.
A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada told CBC News the department
`continues to seek clarity` from the government of Saudi Arabia on
`various issues.`
`The embassy`s trade officers, in addition to the wider Trade
Commissioner Service, are actively engaged with Canadian business
interests and will continue to work with them and the relevant
authorities in the coming days,` the spokesperson said. `Our
government will always support Canadian workers and industries, and
defend their interests at home and abroad.‎`
Liberal MP Omar Alghabra, a parliamentary secretary to the minister of
foreign affairs, said the government was `surprised` by the
heavy-handed Saudi response to the tweet, given how Canada has
repeatedly voiced concerns about the state of human rights in the
country �` a place frequently cited for its abysmal treatment of women,
minorities, foreign labourers, dissidents and human rights advocates,
among others.
`It was their decision to escalate the situation �` we have done
nothing out of the usual �` and we`re interested in maintaining
dialogue with Saudi. The Saudis made this decision and hopefully the
Saudis will come to the table and engage us in a frank and
constructive way,` he said in an interview with CBC`s Power & Politics.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Omar
Alghabra tells Power & Politics that Canada has done nothing out of
the usual in the diplomatic spat with Saudi Arabia. 8:57
So far, Canada`s closest allies �` the United States and the United
Kingdom �` have issued rather tepid statements and are refusing to
condemn the Saudi actions.
Heather Nauert, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, said Tuesday the
U.S. is urging Canada and Saudi Arabia to use diplomacy to resolve
their dispute.
`Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can`t do
it for them, they need to resolve it together,` Nauert said in a briefing.
In a written statement, the State Department referred to both Canada
and Saudi Arabia as close allies.
Similarly, a spokeswoman for the U.K.`s Foreign and Commonwealth
Office said the two countries are `close partners` of the United
Kingdom and urged restraint.
`The U.K. is a strong supporter of human rights. We regularly raise
our concerns with the Saudi government about human rights issues,
including the recent arrests of human rights defenders,` the
spokeswoman said. V.2380

All 30 bank branches offering Smart ID cards and passport renewals Hanno Labuschagne14 May 2024 All 30 bank branches offering Smart ID cards and passport renewals Over half the bank branches that support Smart ID card issuing and passport renewals are in Gauteng. In addition, more than 83% of the branches are in the three most populous provinces in South Africa, while only about 56.3% of the country’s population lives in these provinces. Many people will have to travel far to use one of these branches instead of a regular, problem-ridden Home Affairs office to get a new ID or passport. Thirty bank branches support the eHomeAffairs system introduced by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in 2016. V.5355
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The Constitutional Court recently ruled that children born in South Africa to foreign parents qualify for South African citizenship in terms of Section 2 of the South African Citizenship Act. That is, if you were born in South Africa to foreign parents who have not been admitted as permanent residents, you qualify to apply for South African citizenship upon becoming a major if your birth was registered and if you have lived here all your life, irrespective of the date of your birth and you have not accepted the nationality of another country. The judgment also reduced the term for applying for citizenship by holders of permanent residence from 5 years to 10 years by declaring Regulation 3(2)(a) of the Citizenship Act Regulations unconstitutional. V.5357
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Turkey Visa for South African Citizens In 2013, the e Visa program was launched by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, enabling citizens of more than 100 countries, such as South Africa, to request a Turkish visa through the internet. Therefore, South African tourists favor Turkey as a destination. South African citizens are no longer required to visit the Turkish embassy in person as they can now conveniently apply for their e-visa online. V.5348
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The Australian High Court passed a judgement on Friday that dismissed an Iranian asylum seeker’s plea to be released from immigration detention and enter the country. The Iranian asylum seeker, applicant ASF-17, applied to the Federal Court of Australia for a writ of habeas corpus in 2023 on the basis that his continuing detention exceeded the constitutional limitation identified in the orders of NZYQ v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs released the week prior. The applicant has been refusing to cooperate with the process of being removed from Australia to Iran since 2018, arguing that he would be at risk of persecution for his sexual orientation and religious beliefs. V.5349
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Home Affairs officials are “selling South Africa to foreign nationals” out of greed, says Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. In an exclusive interview with The Witness on Thursday, Motsoaledi said 182 department officials were dismissed for fraud and corruption between 2018 and 2024. Among those dismissed was a chief director who was implicated in assisting a foreign national in getting a permanent residence permit in the country, at a fee. Those who bear the brunt of the corruption are mostly drug addicts, whose personal information is used by Home Affairs officials to create fake IDs and passports for foreigners. V.5350
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Visa waivers for travellers from Kenya and Ghana have catalysed a remarkable 15.4% increase in international tourist numbers to South Africa. File picture: Tracey Adams/ Independent Newspapers South Africa`s tourism sector is experiencing a renaissance fuelled by the recent removal of visa requirements for travellers from select African countries. The latest data from Statistics South Africa showed a remarkable surge in international arrivals, signalling a promising trajectory for the industry. V.5354
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The City of Cape Town has called on the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to address the visa system crisis and confusion over remote work visas. James Vos, the City’s Mayco member for economic growth, says the department ‘shot itself in the foot’ with the premature gazetting and withdrawal of regulations. ‘On 28 March, the DHA published the amended immigration regulations. This, however, was a day before the closing date of the public comment period. And then, on 12 April, the minister issued a notice withdrawing the 28 March amendments.’ As reported by BusinessTech, the regulations replaced the critical skills list with a new points-based system and introduced the remote work visa category. V.5345
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The City of Cape Town has slammed the Department of Home Affairs for creating confusion and continuing to score “infuriating” own goals in launching remote work visas in the country. Mayoral committee member for economic growth, James Vos, said that the last month has seen the department shoot itself in the foot with the premature gazetting and subsequent withdrawal of regulations that would create this category of visa. “On 28 March, the DHA published the amended immigration regulations. This, however, was a day before the closing date of the public comment period. And then, on 12 April, the minister issued a notice withdrawing the 28 March amendments,” Vos said. V.5346
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Recently settled case in the Labour Court demonstrated that excluding a job applicant because of their criminal record is only lawful when the requirements of that job explicitly outline and justify the need for a clean criminal record. However, legal experts say that the court’s decision ultimately delinked trust and honesty from the inherent requirements of a job, which was “concerning.” ENS Africa’s Nils Braatvedt, Kim Vova, and Lutho Zono examined the background, outcome, and subsequent analysis of the recent court ruling in O’Connor v LexisNexis. V.5347
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The City of Cape Town has slammed the Department of Home Affairs for creating confusion and continuing to score “infuriating” own goals in launching remote work visas in the country. Mayoral committee member for economic growth, James Vos, said that the last month has seen the department shoot itself in the foot with the premature gazetting-and subsequent withdrawal-of regulations that would create this category of visa. V.5343
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