Home Affairs to help travellers with minors comply with regulations

Source: Business Day Live, 02/12/2015

THE Department of Home Affairs will introduce measures to help those
travelling with minors to comply with its regulations on unabridged
birth certificates.


Speaking to reporters at the department`s headquarters in Pretoria on
Wednesday, director-general Mkuseli Apleni said regulations regarding
travel with children had not changed and that all children under 18
were still required to travel with an unabridged birth
certificate.


The requirement forms part of laws that leaders in the tourism
industry blamed for lacklustre tourism data. He said the department
would deploy additional staff to the selected ports of entry to help
facilitate movement across borders over upcoming holiday
period.


Mr Apleni said that during the festive season the department would
provide supplementary letters for those who had waited for more than
eight weeks for an unabridged birth certificate and had not been
provided with one.


"In the case of unaccompanied minors, affidavits confirming parents`
given permission for such travel is required, as well as the details
of the person who will be receiving the minor and the undertaking that
he or she will be receiving the child," Mr Apleni said.


He said to avoid parents having to carry birth certificates when
travelling with their children in future, parental details would
eventually be printed in passports.


Mr Apleni said a civic services branch would be available to assist
travellers with children, with the issuance of unabridged birth
certificates or letters in the event that unabridged birth
certificates could not be provided.


"Already there is a team in place assigned ... to respond (rapidly) to
issues regarding this essential document and, importantly, to see to
it that the certificate is issued within the specified period," he
said.


Ports of entry would operate on extended hours between December and
mid-January next year with assistance from additional staff and
resources.


"This will cater for the prefestive season movement, the postfestive
season period and the re-opening of schools in the new year.... Those
ports where an increase in traveller movement is expected (are
affected)," said Mr Apleni.