Ramaphosa admits immigration failures, promises action on corruption and system gaps
· Citizen
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has conceded that the government has dropped the ball in managing the entry of foreign nationals into the country.
He says the state is now moving to tighten enforcement measures, with a stronger focus on addressing the growing challenge of undocumented foreigners and closing gaps in the current immigration system.
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“The responsibility for enforcing immigration laws rests with the state and the state alone,” he said.
“There have been weaknesses in the way migration has been managed. There have been weaknesses in rigorous and focused enforcement. There have been instances of corruption. There have been gaps in our systems that have undermined public confidence.”
Foreigners are allowed in SA
Ramaphosa was addressing the nation on Sunday evening regarding migration and illegal immigration, as well as the measures to be implemented to address the challenges. He noted that “South Africans are entitled to expect better” in how immigration is managed.
The president said it is important to acknowledge that not all economic challenges are caused by foreigners. He was referring to the high unemployment rate, inadequate access to opportunities, and poor service delivery.
Ramaphosa noted that in line with the country’s international obligations and our constitutional values, South Africa will not turn its back on people from other countries who need protection from wars, conflicts, discrimination and violence. However, they need to be legally in South Africa.
Only authorised person to deal with Illegal foreigners
The president said only government officials can take action against foreigners. His statement comes after multiple protests against undocumented foreigners.
“I must make it clear that only the authorised government officials may act against violations of the law, including violations of our immigration laws,” said Ramaphosa.
“No other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street to demand proof of nationality. We know that South Africans are not xenophobic, as there is no space for xenophobia, racism, sexism, Afrophobia or any other forms of intolerance in South Africa.”
Measures to deal with illegal foreigners
“The first part of our response is a concerted crackdown on violations of existing immigration, labour and other laws,” said the president.
He noted that in the past year alone, the Border Management Authority intercepted and stopped over 450 000 people attempting to enter South Africa illegally.
“We will set up dedicated courts to deal with immigration to speedily support the deportation of undocumented migrants. We are going to increase the penalties, including imprisonment, for employers who violate the Immigration Act.
“To address violations of immigration and labour laws in the transport sector, we are implementing a plan that has been developed with the logistics and freight industry and labour organisations.”
Secure SA borders
Ramaphosa said the second measure to be implemented is securing SA’s borders.
“Secure borders are not a sign of hostility towards other countries,” he said. “They are a fundamental requirement of a sovereign and well-governed state. Accordingly, we are taking further measures to secure our borders.”
The President added that the government will undertake a phased relocation of refugee reception centres to border posts, starting with the Tshwane centre this year.
“The relocation of refugee reception centres closer to our borders is intended to ensure that asylum applications are processed more efficiently, more securely and more fairly. This will enable the government to determine protection needs at the point of entry to ensure that those who genuinely require protection receive assistance as quickly as possible.”
Phasing out green ID books
Ramaphosa said the third measure is continuing the crackdown on corruption and inefficiencies in the Department of Home Affairs. This includes the phasing out of the green book Identify Documentation (ID), as it has enabled identity theft by undocumented immigrants and criminal syndicates.
He highlighted that illegal immigration is enabled by corruption. “Officials who sell documents, facilitate unlawful entry or abuse public office for personal gain betray the trust of the South African people,” said the President.
“We are establishing an Intelligent Population Register that contains biometric data for every person in the country, laying the foundation for a Digital ID.
“We will end the abuse of the Traffic Registration Number, which foreign nationals require to register or buy vehicles, but which is being used as a form of identification. The Department of Transport will issue new regulations to align with our country’s identification laws within the next 3 months.”
Closing the gaps in our laws and policies
Ramaphosa said the fourth measure to be implemented is to close the gaps in our laws and policies.
“The laws that regulate immigration in South Africa are fragmented and often contradictory. They allow legal loopholes that are exploited by undocumented migrants,” he said. “We are addressing these loopholes.”
He added that the final measure is to work other countries to address the broader challenge of migration.
“We need to address the factors that drive migration on our continent and elsewhere. South Africa cannot address migration challenges alone,” said Ramaphosa.
“Migration pressures cannot be addressed through enforcement measures alone. They require peace where there is conflict, economic growth where there is stagnation and opportunity where there is poverty.
“As South Africa, we will continue working with our sister countries to build an Africa in which people move by choice and not by desperation.”