Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber on an oversight visit to the Cape Town Refugee Reception Office in Epping.
Cape Town - Asylum seekers and refugees in Cape Town have expressed their frustration at long waiting periods at offices, saying they were hopeful the new ministry would improve this.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber visited the Cape Town Refugee Reception Office in Epping yesterday, where he got a first-hand look at the procedures that asylum seekers must follow.
The Home Affairs facility opened in April 2023.
“I think there are a number of positive elements. I think the infrastructure is impressive with a lot of digital technologies to move away from manual use of files,” Schreiber said.
Some asylum seekers described their relationship with Home Affairs as “tiring and worn out”.
One of the main issues at the facility, according to a Zimbabwean woman who has spent the past 10 years living in South Africa, is the waiting period.
The woman, who was at the office to renew her asylum seeker and refugee permit was helped after several hours.
“You are satisfied with the outcome at the end, but it is a very long waiting time,” she said.
“I don’t know how it works for status and ID, but I think for people coming here for 3 months and 6 months to update their permits, I think there should be a platform to allow us to get status for

two years.”
A 54-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo said he’s had a difficult time dealing with Home Affairs.
He said that he hoped the new minister would be able to improve service delivery.
Another asylum seeker, Patrick Mavoungou, left the facility out of frustration yesterday due to a miscommunication concerning his working permit.
James Chapman of the Scalabrini Centre added that asylum seekers were given lengthy appointment dates.
The centre has been providing welfare services in Cape Town to migrant communities since 1994.
“Once they stop the arrest, and they allow access, they also need to interview people and have a proper appointment system in place.
“Appointments are given for 2026 and 2027 without any kind of documentation,” he said.
The facility uses the “Epping model”, which is an online system that expedites the ID and passport procedures.
“This small office is the office that can, what you have is a one-stop shop,” said Schreiber.
Meanwhile, Schreiber highlighted that funding, including training and more staff was needed to deal with a backlog for various applications across the country.
Home Affairs managed to reduce the backlog by processing 92 886 applications out of a total of 306 042. V.5502

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article