Police conducting an early morning patrol intercepted a bus carrying undocumented passengers
• Police found undocumented women and children inside a trailer attached to the bus.
• A passenger then intervened and offered one of the police officers R50 000 to release the passengers.
• Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber announced last week that foreign tourists, students and visitors who have applied for visa extensions will be allowed to stay in the country until the end of this year.
Police have intercepted a bus carrying undocumented passengers in Paarl, Western Cape - and with children found inside a trailer attached to the bus.
The officers were busy with patrols at around 05:00 on Saturday near to the N1 highway when they noticed people disembarking from a passenger bus near the Sonstraal off-ramp.
When they approached the bus, they found undocumented women and children inside the trailer attached to the bus.
`One of the passengers then intervened and offered one of the SAPS members an amount of R50 000 to release the passengers,` police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said.
However, the officer declined the bribe and executed an arrest on charges of prevention and combatting of corrupt

activities, an offence in terms of the Immigration Act and the prevention and combatting of trafficking in persons.
Swartbooi told News24 that SAPS could not disclose the number of people arrested at this stage of the investigation.
The suspects will make their respective court appearances in the Paarl Magistrate`s Court on Monday.
On Thursday, newly appointed Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber announced that foreign tourists, students and visitors who have applied for visa extensions will be allowed to stay in the country until the end of this year.
He said that the temporary extension to 31 December would safeguard applicants who applied for visa or permits extension from being declared undesirable and forced to leave the country.
It will also allow the department to reduce its ongoing backlog in the processing of visa and permit applications and extensions.
According to Schreiber, this measure is set to help the country`s economy.
Meanwhile, those with short-term visas who have applied for a renewal and have yet to receive the outcome of their application will still be legally required to leave the country within 90 days of their visa`s expiration. V.5479

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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