SA Migration International

News Articles

Fake Indian Birth Certificates in Documents Seized in South Africa

Source: The New Indian Express, 27/08/2015

JOHANNESBURG: Scores of fake Indian birth certificates were among
hundreds of documents seized by South African officials in King
Williams Town after a man believed to be an Indian national was
arrested along with a Ministry of Home Affairs official for running a
scam.

The two unnamed men allegedly facilitated fraudulent marriages
involving illegal foreign nationals, many of them from the Indian
subcontinent.

The marriages were with local women, some allegedly paid large sums in
the marriage of convenience racket to secure South African citizenship
for the foreign migrants.

An investigation by the Home Affairs Counter-Corruption Unit, South
African Police Services (SAPS) Crime Intelligence and the specialised
intelligence unit Hawks led to the arrest of the two men.

A search of the house of the man, believed to be an Indian, led to the
discovery of copies of passports, identity documents, marriage
certificates, temporary residence permits, visitor's permits, asylum
seeker permits and many blank Home Affairs face value documents.

Other documents seized, include police clearance certificates and
foreign birth certificates, mainly from India and Bangladesh which,
were all confiscated.

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba hailed the arrests as a
significant step in the recently launched Operation Bvisa Masina,
which seeks to stop the rot within the Department of Home
Affairs.

"(The) arrests ought to serve as a deterrent and a warning to those
who are involved in these unscrupulous acts which seek to undermine
government's efforts to deliver quality services to our clients. As
government, we are sending a strong message of zero tolerance towards
corruption in all its manifestations," Gigaba said.

In recent years many local women have discovered to their shock that
they are married to foreign men when they try to use their identity
documents. Duplicate and stolen identity documents were found to have
been used in many such cases.

Search

Latest News

... Read more...
... Read more...
... Read more...
... Read more...

If you are visiting SA or already here on a visa, take this as a public-interest warning. In 2025, a quiet, but sharp, shift has taken hold inside parts of home affairs adjudication ranks: applications are being refused almost mechanically if they were not submitted at least 60 days before visa expiry.A wave of refusals repeating near-identical wording:The applicant did not submit his/her application no less than 60 days prior to the expiry date of his/her.

The rigid application of this rule, devoid of consideration for mitigating circumstances, raises serious concerns about the fairness and legality of such administrative decisions.

... Read more...

... Read more...
... Read more...
... Read more...
... Read more...
... Read more...