Tearful airport scenes to continue as Home Affairs digs its heels in

Source: Tourism Update, 07/10/2016

Passed in their present form, draft amendments to South Africa`s
immigration regulations will result in children booked on flights to
South Africa being denied boarding if they do not have an unabridged
birth certificate.


In their present form, draft amendments to South Africa`s immigration
regulations will mean no real changes are made to South Africa`s
requirements for travelling minors.


This means that children booked on flights to South Africa who do not
have an unabridged birth certificate will be denied boarding and the
tears at international airports will continue.


The draft amendments are open for comment and can be accessed here.


The deadline for comment is October 14.


Whereas the current regulations require children under 18 to travel
with an unabridged birth certificate, the draft amendment states that
travellers "may" be requested to produce the document: "Where a parent
or parents, from a visa-exempt country, who is or are travelling with
a child, such parent or parents may be required by an immigration
officer to produce the child`s unabridged birth certificate upon
admission into or departure from the Republic…"
As far as the aviation industry is concerned, the wording is too vague
to effect any change and airlines will continue to ask for the
documents, or risk having to carry the costs of repatriating
travellers denied entry to South Africa.


Based on the draft amendments, Board of Airline Representatives of
South Africa (Barsa) CEO, June Crawford, says the unabridged birth
certificate appears still to be required. "In view of this, Barsa will
be advising its airlines to ensure that children under the age of 18
carry an unabridged birth certificate."


Chris Zweigenthal, Chief Executive at the Airlines Association of
Southern Africa, also says that based on his reading of the draft he
would recommend that travellers bring the documentation as per the
original regulations. "I would not take a chance."


Satsa CEO, David Frost, says the association will be making a
submission with the TBCSA and will call for the requirement to carry
an unabridged birth certificate to be scrapped. He emphasises that the
Department of Home Affairs should not be rewording the requirement but
instead scrapping it entirely. He says the requirement is not
necessary, emphasising that the correct documents to ensure security
are a valid visa and passport, which is what is required by the rest
of the world.


Asata CEO, Otto de Vries, also points out that the draft amendment is
"vague". He explains this puts pressure on the airlines, which will
understandably continue to require unabridged birth certificates.
"When it comes to legal matters, people want clarity."