Parliament’s watchdog on home affairs is seeking answers as to why the
department has not opened its two refugee reception offices.
Cape Town - Parliament’s watchdog on home affairs is seeking answers
as to why the department has not opened its two refugee reception
offices.
On Tuesday, MPs grilled the department on the refugee reception office
and why they had failed to open the offices in Cape Town and Port
Elizabeth. This was despite a court ruling to open refugee centres.
“Once public works hands over the tender installation, then we as home
affairs can come in and do our installation of equipment and
furniture, this process will take eight weeks to do,” acting
director-general at home affairs, Thulani Mavuso, said.
The department has constantly maintained it was waiting on the
Department of Public Works to provide suitable office accommodation.
MPs gave home affairs officials a grilling on what progress the
department had made so far.
Advocacy groups The Scalabrini Centre and the Somalia Association of
South Africa have recently decided to bring forward contempt of court
proceedings against the Department of Home Affairs.
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) found the department’s decision to
close the refugee reception office to new applications for asylum
unlawful and irrational, and ordered the department to reopen and
maintain a fully functional office in the Cape Town metropolitan

area
by March 31.
It further ordered the department provide monthly reports on its
progress in complying with the order.
The Nbaya case, launched in 2015 through the Legal Resource Centre on
behalf of asylum seekers, relates to the renewal of the permits of
asylum seekers at the refugee reception office.
This should happen even if they lodged their applications at other
refugee reception offices around the country.
In this case, the Western Cape High Court found that the department’s
policy of refusing to renew asylum permits from other offices was
unlawful and ordered it to renew the permits of asylum seekers
residing in Cape Town or to be informed of any decision relating to
his or her application through the Cape Town refugee reception office.
“We never had a problem supplying monthly reports, we have concluded a
discussion with the two groups to supply a report this week,” Mavuso said.
Portfolio manager of Public Works Reggie Ncobo said: “We have
commenced with the procurement process, there were two options
explored as a procurement model which the regional office has
identified as state owned property in Maitland.
“The idea is for permanent and interim and thereafter we will be
advertising a tender process.”
The department said the refugee centres would be opened next year. V.2412

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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