The government will approach the court for guidance on implementing a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum applications. The Department of Home Affairs plans to introduce a new registration and appointment system by 10 November.
Mmamoloko Kubayi, chair of the interministerial committee on migration, says the court declared on 7 July that legal provisions allowing the deportation of asylum seekers without transit visas were unconstitutional. According to the planned system, first-time applicants will register their intention online and receive proof with their details and appointment.
The proof will not grant a visa or refugee status, but according to the government it will provide protection against removal and detention based solely on the lack of a visa while the application is submitted and decided. The government is also working on new legislation and plans to relocate refugee reception offices to border posts, with Beitbridge as the first intended location in December.
A High Court hearing on conflicting provisions regarding asylum seekers is scheduled for 29 October. The government says it remains committed to the existing court order while seeking further guidance.
Source: SAnews.gov.za
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
