Dozens queue, but the reception office in Gqeberha only serves 15 asylum seekers a day Many asylum seekers are being turned away at Home Affairs offices in Cape Town and Gqeberha because very few applicants are being served on any given day. GroundUp met a Burundian refugee who has been given an appointment for February […]
Tag: Migration
The government is blocking the potential that foreign workers can bring to SA’s stagnant economy. South Africa’s work visa regime is laborious, lengthy and inefficient. The process deters foreign investment, widens the skills gap and throttles productivity, economic growth and development. Between 2015 and 2021, only 16 097 critical skilled-worker permits were approved by the […]
Background 0. In 2010 VFS Global was appointed through a competitive process by the Department of Home Affairs (“DHA”) to process South African visa applications in Nigeria, India and China. 1. VFS Global and the DHA entered into a contract for the duration of 3 years with a provision for renewal (if and when necessary). […]
Since 1998, South Africa has recognised persecution based on gender and sexuality as legitimate grounds for asylum. This makes it the only African country to formally extend refugee protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) persons. However, as research shows, the promise of freedom contained in its Refugees Act is yet to materialise […]
It’s no secret that our planet is facing a climate crisis. We witnessed the devastating impacts of floods in Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar. Entire villages were swept away, leaving behind only debris and devastated families. Many people lost everything they owned and are now struggling to find food, shelter, and clean water. This experience made […]
Monrovia — The International Organization on Migration’s Chief of Mission for Liberia, Madam Ana Fonseca, has said that the Local Migration Governance Indicators (LMGI) report which has been validated represents a significant milestone in the collective effort of IOM and Liberia to strengthen migration governance in Monrovia. The LMGI report was validated on Friday, July […]
Labor migration from Ethiopia to the Middle East is not a new phenomenon. Demand for labor has been increasing in Middle East which has led to labor migration in these countries. According to Bina Fernandez (PhD), Associate Professor in Development Studies in the School of Social and Political Sciences, agencies that facilitate the movement of […]
The South African government recently issued a long-awaited policy statement – called a White Paper – outlining proposed changes to the country’s asylum and immigration system. More than 20 years after its first post-apartheid immigration legislation in 1998, immigration remains a pressing concern. Getting this policy right could help with South Africa’s economic recovery, increase […]
Provisions in the Refugees Act introduced in January 2020 struck down for violating a number of fundamental rights The Constitutional Court has struck down provisions of the Refugees Act which deemed asylum seekers to be illegal foreigners if they did not renew their visas within a month. They automatically forfeited their asylum seeker status without […]
Britain’s conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has survived a tough vote on plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak got his government’s plans to send people seeking asylum in the United Kingdom to Rwanda for consideration to stay there instead through the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday. Sunak […]
The central Mediterranean route (the route from Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia to Italy and Malta) has long been the deadliest migration route in the world. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) nearly 2,500 people died or went missing as they attempted to cross the stretch in 2023. Here are ten things you […]
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak quelled a Conservative Party rebellion and got his stalled plan to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda through the House of Commons on Wednesday. Lawmakers voted 320-276 to back a bill intended to overcome a U.K. Supreme Court block on the Rwanda plan. But the contentious immigration […]
Travellers to South Africa and the country’s tourism industry were rattled when an internal Department of Home Affairs memo was shared with the media, sparking concern among “Swallows” – seasonal visitors who travel between hemispheres for sunny weather. The circular, intended for border officials, explains visa application and renewal procedures. However, its inadvertent leak and […]
Federal government has rejected a bill before the House of Representatives, proposing an amendment to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) Act, supposedly to curb the menace of brain drain in the country. The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Monday after the extraordinary Federal […]
On 15 June, the overcrowded fishing trawler Adriana sank on its illicit journey from Libya to Italy, drowning hundreds of men, women and children. In response, states have expressed shock and sadness, and have moved to prosecute smugglers associated with the journey. Greece, under whose watch the tragedy occurred, declared three days of mourning and […]
The UK Supreme Court ruled on 15 November 2023 that sending asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful. The plan would have seen tens of thousands of asylum seekers sent from the UK to Rwanda, which would then process and host such refugees indefinitely. Along with countless refugee and human rights groups – including the United […]
How the Year of Return 2019 in Ghana led to one of the largest transatlantic African-American homecomings in history The UN designated the International Decade for People of African Descent, from 2015 to 2024, to promote the recognition, justice, and development of individuals of African descent worldwide. Through various programs, events, and awareness campaigns, the […]
THE Government has rolled out the second phase of engaging citizens in South Africa as part of finalising the process of a smooth return of Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders. The Zimbabwe Embassy will be conducting an outreach programme across South Africa to engage citizens. On Monday, the embassy released a two-week schedule during which […]