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Government mulls biometrics on arrival

Source: – Tourism Update, 18/09/2015

The taking of biometrics at the port of entry is on the cards, says
Department of Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Fatima Chohan.

Government is considering taking visitors` biometrics on arrival but
wholesale changes to South Africa`s immigration regulations are
unlikely.

This is the message Department of Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Fatima
Chohan, delivered to members of the tourism trade, business and
immigration lawyers who attended an immigration regulations compliance
workshop on Friday, September 18, hosted at the Gauteng Investment
Centre.

Under the country`s immigration regulations, tourists who require
visas to travel to South Africa are required to make visa applications
in person to facilitate the intake of biometric data. However Chohan
said on Friday: "In so far as our consideration of biometrics at the
port of entry, yes, that is on the cards."

"One of the things that is being mooted at the moment," said Chohan
"is the idea of having South African tour companies, which have
offices in the various regions from where they attract tourists into
South Africa, being given a specific status that would allow them to
do the scrutiny of their clients themselves." She added that the
department would set the parameters of what that screening would
entail and would also engage the trade on how best to go about this.

The Deputy Minister said that the interministerial committee tasked
with reviewing the regulations had had several meetings. However, she
stressed that wholesale changes would not be made to the regulations.

According to Chohan, the department has faced challenges engaging with
the tourism industry. "The tourism sector doesn`t seem to be able to
speak with one voice," she said, adding that the department was unable
to deal with individual requests from the industry.

Chohan said also that the tourism industry had benefited from measures
taken by the department. She used the example of Kenya, which has seen
its tourism sector suffer since security incidents took place in the
country.

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