On Thursday, the Indian government gave ten agencies the legal
authority `to intercept, monitor or decrypt information generated,
transmitted, received or stored in any computer.`
The order, approved on December 20 by the Indian Ministry of Home
Affairs, is an expansion of India`s IT Act of 2000 and effectively
gives the Indian government the legal power to snoop on all its
citizens` Internet traffic, and the authority to request access to
any encrypted information.
Individuals and entities who don`t comply with requests to
intercept, monitor, or access citizens` data face up to seven
years in prison or a fine.
The ten agencies authorized to intercept or request access to user
data under the new order are:
• the Intelligence Bureau
• the Narcotics Control Bureau
• the Enforcement Directorate
• the Central Board of Direct Taxes
• the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
• the Central Bureau of Investigation
• the National Investigation Agency
• the Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW)
• the Commissioner of Delhi Police, and
• the Directorate of Signal Intelligence (for service areas
of Jammu & Kashmir, North-East, and Assam only)
The order sparked outrage in

India, among citizens, privacy
watchdogs, and opposing political parties, who called it a
stepping stone towards an Indian surveillance state.
The same rhetoric heard in all countries where similar
surveillance laws exist, or governments tried passing a
surveillance law, were also heard from the Delhi government today.
Government officials argued that the order expanding India`s IT
Act was needed for national security, to maintain public order,
and to deal with foreign government interventions.
To calm some of the rumors swirling online, the Ministry of Home
Affairs also issued a clarification today, explaining that any
interception, monitoring, or data decryption will be `done as per
due process of law` with approval from the Union Home Secretary.
The ministry also said that adequate safeguards against abuse
exist under both the IT and Telegraph Acts.
`Every individual case will continue to require prior approval of
Home ministry or state government,` the government said. `MHA has
not delegated its powers to any law enforcement or security
agency.`
The order is expected to be challenged in court as
unconstitutional. V.2682

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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