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Home Affairs working towards scrapping Visas for all African citizens

Source: The South African, 15/05/2017


The Department of Home Affairs is working towards allowing all African
citizens to enter the country without visas. There is a catch though,
initially, so-called “trusted travellers” will be the only ones to
benefit. Trusted travellers? These are diplomats, academics, business
people and students.


Big immigration changes could be coming.


Home Affairs’ latest White Paper on international migration was
already adopted by cabinet six weeks ago, the paper was not
immediately made public. News24 reports that the paper explains the
steps that will be taken towards scrapping visa requirements.


The paper draws strongly on the African Union’s Agenda 2063, it led to
former AU President Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma launching the African
Passport last year.


“South Africa fully supports the vision of an Africa where its
citizens can move more freely across national borders, where
intra-Africa trade is encouraged and there is greater integration and
development of the African continent”.
Home Affairs believes the current situation is simply untenable.


“For instance, on average Africans need visas to travel to 55% of
other African countries. They can get visas on arrival in only 25% of
other countries. Finally, they do not need a visa to travel to just
20% of other countries on the continent.”


In March, Home Affairs also confirmed that “visa-free travel for South
Africans to the EU” was still in the works. In fact, it was now
finance Minister (former Home Affairs minister) Malusi Gigaba who
stated in September that the EU were looking at relaxing or
eliminating visa requirements for South Africans. Now that Hlengiwe
Mkhize is heading up Home Affairs, how will that affect plans for the
“African” passport and EU travel visas?


The White Paper is also aware of the potential security issues that
could arise with visa scrapping. News24’s Carien du Plessis
summarises it as such:


“The policy is envisaged as follows: African citizens can enter South
Africa visa-free where there are reciprocal agreements.


“Visas will only be needed when there are risks of foreign nationals
overstaying, security risks like organised crime, terrorism and
political instability, civil registration risks, i.e. fraud by foreign
governments in issuing documents or an unable or unwillingness to
identfy their nationals when requested, and for countries “with a high
number of nationals who abuse the asylum system”.


“Key elements of the visa-free regime would be visa-free entry for
visits up to 90 days, recognition of visas for third parties, for
example regional visas, agreed standards on immigration and border
management, agreed standards on civil registration and “sophisticated,
real-time risk management, information and intelligence sharing”.


The white paper also emphasises that we as a country should “continue
to advocate for a free movement of African citizens.” It also warns of
the large influx of “semi- skilled or unskilled economic migrants,”
this often then leads to abuse from “some unscrupulous South African
employers”.


Home Affairs Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize is expected to announce details
on the new immigration dispensation during her budget speech on Wednesday.


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