The Order, confirmed by the court following successful negotiations
between the Department of Home Affairs and civil society, pertains to
children and spouses of asylum seekers and refugees living in South
Africa.
Wives, husbands, children and other dependents of asylum-seekers and
refugees are able to document themselves in South Africa as
‘dependents’ of the principle asylum applicant in a process commonly
known as ‘family-joining’. This aspect of the Refugee Act â€` outlined
at section 3(c) â€` means that refugee families can be documented
together, ensuring their rights to family unity and dignity in South
Africa. As refugees cannot return to their country due to conflict or
persecution, maintaining a family unit that is documented together is
an important part of building stability and ensuring proper refugee
protection in South Africa.
However, many applicants had experienced barriers when trying to join
family members in this way. Wives, husbands, children, and other
dependents of asylum applicants and refugees have been left with no
way to document themselves in South Africa. They have been forced into
an undocumented state, placing them in a position that is vulnerable
to exploitation, detention and arrest.
In reaction to this, civil society organisations Scalabrini Centre of
Cape Town represented by the Refugee Rights

Unit at UCT, and Advocate
Suzanna Harvey, took the matter to court in 2016.
The order confirms a set of Standard Operating Procedures which have
been agreed on between DHA and the applicants. As such, dependents are
now able to apply to be documented as either through family joining or
in om their own grounds, upon provision of certain documents, where
possible, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate â€`
regardless of where the marriage or birth took place. Affidavits are
to be submitted in the absence of such documents. This family joining
is to be completed regardless of whether the dependents were included
in the applicant’s original asylum application or not. Should there be
“serious doubts` about the validity of a parents’ claim over their
child, DHA can request a DNA test, which will then be assessed and
possibly funded by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR).
Administrative nuances aside, the ultimate success of this case is
that asylum-seeking and refugee families can now fulfil their right to
access documentation in South Africa. With documentation, these
families no longer need to fear arrest and detention, can work
legally, and can enrol their children in school without administrative
barriers V.2883

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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