In 2020 the Auditor General raised alarm bells when they indicated that the asylum appeal backlog would take the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) 68 years to clear.
In 2021 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided the DHA with R147 million to deal with the 153 391 asylum decisions appeal backlog. The funding provided for this backlog project, like with most initiatives taken by the DHA, was wasted.
Both the UNHCR and the DHA stated that the project would eliminate the backlog within 4 years. Yet, after a question posed to the Minister, the DA exposed that the DHA is failing miserably at dealing with the asylum appeal backlog and has wasted the UNHCR’s funding.
The Refugee Appeals Authority of South Africa (RAASA), which falls within the DHA and is tasked with dealing with asylum appeals, is currently sitting with 113 689 appeals of asylum decisions.
Worryingly, this number does not reflect the full extent of the backlog at RAASA and does not align with the DHA’s response on the 1st of March 2024 that only 10 890 files were processed by the backlog project, many of which are not even finalised.
Exacerbating the issue, is the fact that

the DHA processed 15 000 new applications for asylum between April and December 2023, which added to the massive appeal backlog.
Moreover, of the original 30 members recruited for RAASA with the funds provided for the backlog project, only 10 remain to assist with the never-ending backlog of appeals.
The DHA Draft White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection presents no tangible plan to deal with this issue. The consequence of this backlog is that it opens up the system to abuse by persons who are not refugees (e.g. not fleeing persecution), allowing them to remain in the system for extended periods. Those who are refugees, and deserving of protection are forced to wait in limbo for up to 10 years for a final decision.
The DHA has wasted over R147 million in funding with little to no progress made, and no tangible solution presented. The DA calls on the DHA to implement fair, transparent and efficient systems, where resources are dedicated by the DHA to clear these backlogs. RAASA cannot be forced to seek out international funding to operate and protect itself from abuse. V.5271

Australia’s plan to cap the number of new international students to 270,000 starting in 2025 has sparked widespread concern within the education sector. However, the proposal, which still needs parliamentary approval, is unlikely to have a significant impact on students from African countries planning to study in Australia. The National Planning Level (NPL) for 2025, which includes the limit on the number of international student enrolments, aims to reduce overall migration to pre-pandemic levels. V.5595
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Bethuel Ngobeni, Dumisa Moyo, Nhlanhla Magwaca, Moseki Sechele, Thabo Sechele and Khudzai Mashaya appear in court to face illicit gold mining charges. Image: Thapelo Morebudi An investigation into illicit gold mining has uncovered how one of the accused obtained a fraudulent identity document, 12 years after arriving in SA. V.5594
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• Lesotho has rekindled moves to implement localisation rules for certain types of businesses dominated by foreigners. • Indians, Chinese and South Africans dominate the 47 reserved businesses. • SA firms will be under pressure to use local distributors, and not contract Basotho labour via SA-based agents. V.5587
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Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said that plans were underway for the Department of Home Affairs to switch from working manually to digitally. CAPE TOWN - Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said that long queues, off-line systems, and paper-based applications at department offices would soon be a thing of the past. Schreiber said that plans were underway for the Department of Home Affairs to switch from working manually to digitally. V.5588
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‘There are various pathways and provisions in the law that recognise that people should not be stateless, and we are failing to ensure that these people have papers,’ says Global Movement Against Statelessness’ Christy Chitengu. Christy Chitengu was born in South Africa and regards herself as a South African, despite her parents being Zimbabwean. V.5589
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Inspection at workplaces set to increase Newly appointed home affairs minister Leon Schreiber will increase inspections at restaurants, spaza shops, farms and mines to heighten the crackdown on undocumented workers in these industries. Schreiber said while SA welcomes those who contribute to the country legally through skills, investments and as tourists, it needed to do more to combat illegal immigration. V.5592
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CAPE TOWN - Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber says since March, his department already reported 109 cases of document fraud to its counter corruption unit. Three officials have been convicted and sentenced during this same period. V.5593
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Key Takeaways • As of August 28, Canada has banned temporary residents on visitor visas from applying for work permits within the country. • The policy`s early termination is part of IRCC`s efforts to manage the influx of temporary residents and combat immigration fraud. • Starting September 26, 2024, Canada will cut the number of temporary foreign workers by about 65,000. Canada has recently launched a new policy that prohibits temporary residents on visitor visas from applying for work permits within the country, a decision that significantly impacts their ability to work and stay in Canada. V.5583
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The United Kingdom has long been a favoured destination for South Africans seeking work or residency, thanks to shared language, time zones, and historical ties. However, according to JP Breytenbach from Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants, the profile of South African migrants is changing. “There is a significant increase in business migration, with companies aiming to expand into the UK as a gateway to Europe or the US,” he shared in an interview with Biznews. Many of these South Africans businesses feel they have reached a ceiling in their local markets or are tech entrepreneurs who believe their products are not yet viable in South Africa. This year, new UK immigration rules are set to take effect as the country seeks to limit net migration. V.5584
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Applicants who prefer hard copies of ZEP waiver letters will still be able to collect them at branches. Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs, during the swearing-in ceremony of the new national executive members at Cape Town International Convention Centre on 3 July, 2024 in Cape Town. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced that the first batch of Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) waiver applications has been processed. ZEP holders will no longer need to go to Home Affairs branches to find out the outcome of their applications. The department will be sending them out digitally. V.5585
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