Port Elizabeth office not receiving new applicants, two years after
deadline set by court
More than two years after a deadline set by the courts, the Port
Elizabeth Refugee Reception Office is still not fully operational, MPs
were told last week.
Briefing Parliament’s portfolio committee on Home Affairs, Department
of Home Affairs officials acknowledged that although the Cape Town
Refugee Reception Office had started slowly receiving new applicants,
the Port Elizabeth office was not yet open for newcomers.
The reopening of the offices follows two court rulings. In March 2015,
the Supreme Court of Appeals ordered Home Affairs to reopen the Port
Elizabeth Refugee Reception Centre. Home Affairs had until 1 July 2016
to comply.
The same court ruled in September 2017 that Home Affairs must reopen
and maintain a fully functional refugee reception office in Cape Town
by the end of March 2018.
But neither office is fully functioning, MPs heard.
According to Home Affairs, instead of 62 people in the Port Elizabeth
office, there are only 22 officials, with two Refugee Status
Determination Officers. The estimated cost of seconding officials was
R450,000 a month and R4 million a year would be necessary to fund only
the critically important posts, Jackson Mackay from the

department said.
MP Tandiwe Elizabeth Kenye (ANC) asked what the department’s
recruitment strategy was to fill in the vacancies.
Mackay said the department’s budget was a constraint. “The R7.9
billion is not enough for the department, yet it is at the centre of
the government. Treasury should capacitate the department in this
regard,” said Mackay.
Hlengiwe Octavia Mkhaliphi (EFF) asked if the department had applied
for an extension from the courts.
Mackay said the department was complying with the court orders by
reporting to the court on progress.
Acting Director-General Thulani Mavuso said the Port Elizabeth office
should be ready to receive new applicants by the end of October 2018.
He said furniture and information technology were being installed.
To operate at full capacity the office had to rely on secondment from
the Desmond Tutu and Musina offices which received smaller volumes.
In Cape Town, the staff establishment was up to date with one or two
more officials needed. Five computers had been installed for
processing newcomers at the old building. The Department of Public
Works was still looking for permanent offices for the centre, Mackay said. V.2444

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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