What is the current backlog of (a) asylum seekers awaiting status determination interviews, (b) asylum seekers who have appealed the status determination decision, and are awaiting a hearing with the refugee appeal authority, (c) asylum seekers who have submitted a review of their status determination decision to the standing committee of refugee affairs and are awaiting a decision, (d) refugees awaiting decisions on permanent residence applications and (e) foreign nationals awaiting permanent residence applications?
(a) 617 active cases are still at the first instance adjudication phase as at 31 December 2023.
(b) Refugee Appeals Authority:
(i) Failed asylum seekers who lodged Notices of Appeal – 113 698
(ii) Failed asylum seekers booked for hearing – 2 710
(c) Reviews at SCRA awaiting decisions as at 19/02/2024: 6 774
(d) Refugees awaiting decisions on permanent residence applications: 2 924. ...
What steps has his department taken to fight the increase of identity theft cases in the Republic, where innocent individuals are left in debt due to their identities being fraudulently issued by officials within his department to persons with ill intent who use it to open credit accounts?
Innocent individuals who find themselves in debt due to identity theft are informed by the creditors of their debts and if disputed, they are advised to report the matter to the SAPS for further investigation.
The Department has online verification services whereby any member of the public when applying for identification in the Department, the document is verified online to ensure authentication of the ...
(1)Whether his department had solved the problem of long queues and denial of service on reaching the counter after a long time in the queue; if so, what (a) is the average waiting time for service, (b) measures are in place to check that those who are waiting in the queue will indeed be served without being asked to come back on another day, (c) was being done to ensure that the ticket allocation system is working smoothly and reliably 100% of the time, (d) control measures are in place to ensure that the system is the best it can be and (e) surveys are undertaken to ascertain any improvements should and must occur to satisfy the Batho Pele principle; if not, (i) which of the above are not being done and (ii) why;
2) what has been his findings on citizen satisfaction with the service provided by his department?
(1)(a) The average waiting time inside an office is calculated per service as different types of services follow different process flows. Where all systems are working and the offices do not experience load shedding, which now affects network coverage in the offices, the average waiting period for pre-booked services is 7 minutes; for birth, marriage, and death services is 10 minutes and 15 minutes ...
(1)What number of (a) new-comer asylum applications have been processed in each refugee reception centre from quarter 1 to quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year and (b) applications were (i) granted refugee status and (ii) rejected as (aa) unfounded and (bb) manifestly unfounded;
(2) what number of (a) asylum files have been processed through the funded backlog project of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, (b) the processed files have been granted refugee status and (c) backlog files processed have received a final rejection;
(3) whether any of the rejected applications have been appealed through a judicial appeal at the high court; if not, why not; if so, what number from each refugee reception centre has been appealed through a judicial appeal?
(1)(a) In the period 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2023 the Department processed 15 047 newcomer applications.
(1)(b)(i) 877 cases were granted status
(1)(b)(ii) (aa) 5009 Cases were adjudicated as Unfounded.
(bb) 8415 Cases were adjudicated as one of the Manifestly Unfounded categories for SCRA review
(2)(a) The total number of processed files for the Backlog Project is 10 890.
- Hearings conducted: 3 910
- Notices ...
(1)What (a) progress has been made by the Council for Scientific and Industry Research (CSIR) on the development of an IT system for his department in five designated offices to address network challenges and (b) are the (i) main deliverables and (ii) due dates for each deliverable;
(2) whether there are any sub-contractors involved in the project; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full details of (a) the sub-contractors and (b) their contract value;
(3) what are the reasons that the project did not go out on open tender?
(1)(a) The progress made in the five designated offices is contained in the table in (b)(ii) below.
(1)(b)(i) The main deliverable of the Proof of Concept (PoC) is an overlay of the selected sites onto an alternative network.
(1)(b)(ii) The following activities were planned to achieve this deliverable: -
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Activity
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Responsible party
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Due date
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PoC site selection
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CSIR + DHA
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31 May 2023 (completed) ... |
Considering that his department had issued directives to extend the validity of the exemption permits for nationals from Lesotho and Zimbabwe, what are the plans to finally deal with the matter of the (a) Zimbabwe Exemption Permit and (b) Lesotho Special Permit?
The Department is implementing the Directive issued by the Minister on 29 November 2023.
In this regard, both Lesotho and Zimbabwean nationals have started applying for the extension in line with the Directive. The new exemption permits will not be renewable (see paragraph 5.6 of the Minister’s press statement on the granting of exemptions to the Lesotho and Zimbabwean nationals in terms of Section ...
(1)How many of the Operation Vulindlela recommendations relating to his department have been implemented during the targeted time frame;
(2) (a) which recommendations, if any, have not been implemented and (b) what are the reasons for failure to implement all recommendations;
(3) whether his department intend to implement any of the outstanding recommendations; if not, why not; if so, what are the (a) relevant details and (b) time frames for the implementation of those recommendations?
1. Five Operation Vulindlela recommendations were implemented fully during the targeted timeframe.
2. The remaining three recommendations are being processed as they relate to:
a) Firstly, it’s the introduction of new visa categories to cater for remote workers and start-ups. Secondly, it is the expansion of the DHA capacity in Immigration Services and the Third, is modernising IT systems.
b) The DHA is making ...
Whether, with reference to his reply to question 3898 on 21 December 2023, his department has any plans, other than the funding from the European Union, to capacitate the Refugee Appeal Authority of South Africa to work through the remaining backlog of appeals; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
In my previous response I indicated that the Refugee Appeals Authority (RAASA) Backlog Project had 30 legally qualified members that were remunerated from the funding from the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR). Unfortunately, the number of members decreased to 22 later. Due to limited funding received from the UNHCR, the Backlog Project is currently left with only 10 members as the rest ...
With reference to magistrates refusing to entertain enquiries pertaining to section 34 of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002, which were lodged between 29 June 2019 and 30 October 2023, what total number of persons detained (a) as illegal foreigners were released and (b) for the purposes of deportation were held beyond 30 days without appearing before a magistrate?
The non-application of section 34(1)(b) of the Immigration Act, 2002 in some magistrates’ courts in the country commenced in February 2022, and not on the lapse of the court order on 29 November 2019.
- The illegal immigrants who were not confirmed in court in terms of section 34(1)(b) were not released, but charged criminally as per the provisions of section 49(1) of the Immigration ...
Whether he intends acting against any persons who obtained their South African citizenship by naturalisation in terms of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995, Act No 88 of 1995, who is rendering services under a foreign flag in a plausible genocide that the Republic does not support or agree with after such persons neither applied for permission and/or were declined permission to render such services in the commission of plausible acts of genocide; if not, why not; if so what steps does he intend to take?
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 259
DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2024
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 4 – 2024
259.Mr M G E Hendricks (Al Jama-ah) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs: [61] [Question submitted for oral reply now placed for written reply because it is more than quota (Rule 137(8)]
Whether he intends acting against any persons who obtained their South African citizenship by naturalisation in terms of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995, Act No 88 of 1995, who is rendering services under a foreign flag in a plausible genocide that the Republic does not support or agree with after such persons neither applied for permission and/or were declined permission to render such services in the commission of plausible acts of genocide; if not, why not; if so what steps does he intend to take?NO296E
REPLY:
Section 6 of the South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 makes a provision for Loss of citizenship” and subsection (3) specifies as follows:”
“Any person who obtained South African citizenship by naturalisation in terms of this Act shall cease to be a South African citizen if he or she engages, under the flag of another country, in a war that the Republic does not support.”
END
Section 6 of the South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 makes a provision for Loss of citizenship” and subsection (3) specifies as follows:”
“Any person who obtained South African citizenship by naturalisation in terms of this Act shall cease to be a South African citizen if he or she engages, under the flag of another country, in a war that the Republic does ...
