News / Africa
SA Visa panic grows
24 May 2015 at 18:05hrs | Views
In 10 days new visa requirements for visitors to South Africa will be enforced.
The requirements - which will force anyone travelling with a child, either from or to South Africa, to have an unabridged birth certificate - have been labelled an economy killer, unworkable and a divider of families.
The new rules follow regulations that came into effect last year that require tourists to lodge their visa applications in person at a South African mission in their home country. This caused a drop in tourist arrivals, leading Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom to express concern at their impact on the multibillion-rand sector, which employs about 1.5 million people.
The birth certificate rule is expected to be an additional drag on tourism and result in considerable personal hardship.
Case# 1
A British mother who made South Africa her home 10 years ago has been given 14 days to leave or face arrest.
Her deportation orders, given to her without explanation, will tear her family apart, with her 11-year-old daughter and husband, a South African citizen, having to stay.
"They are breaking us bit by bit," said the mother, who cannot be named to protect her daughter.
The procurement specialist was brought to South Africa by her then employer. When she wanted to start her own business, and had to apply for a work visa, she hit a brick wall with Home Affairs officials. "I was informed that my daughter and I were 'illegal and undesirable'."
For nearly a year, the woman has been trying to secure a visa but has been sent from pillar to post, with Home Affairs officials telling her she does not live in the correct province for an application to be made or an office did not handle "good cause" applications.
On Wednesday last week, she was told that an application made in February had been rejected because she had not applied for a visa in 12 months.
She was given 14 days to leave the country. Her family's only remaining hope is an urgent application filed in the Pretoria High Court yesterday by immigration company Global Migration SA.
"We pray that it will lead to a stay of the deportation." said the woman. "We haven't got anywhere else to go and don't want to go anywhere else."
The managing director of Global Migration, Leon Isaacson, said the Home Affairs Department had 48 hours either to rectify the matter or respond and contest it in court.
Case #2
Ma-Setlogelo Masote wanted unabridged birth certificates for her two sons. She received only one 10 months after applying.
Her other son, she was told, did not exist on the Home Affairs system. "It is a tedious process. I have no problem with the legislation and I understand the logic behind it, but the system is just not functioning like it's supposed to," said Masote.
She was told to reapply and provide an affidavit confirming the child was hers, but is yet to receive the second certificate.
Case # 3
The Tourism Business Council of SA says Home Affairs' refusal to meet, negotiate or engage about the visa regulations spells disaster for South Africa.
"We have tried," said council CEO Mmatsatsi Ramawela. "How do you negotiate with someone who ignores two impact-assessment reports and fails to meet you?"
Regulations implemented last year require visitors to go in person to a South African consulate, where biometric data must be captured.
The latest regulations specify that visitors travelling with children must source original unabridged birth certificates for children travelling to South Africa.
"The regulations are archaic,'' said Ramawela. "Other countries are relaxing restrictions on allowing people in, but we are tightening ours while we want to grow tourism.
''We understand [the need to secure] the borders, but most illegal immigrants do not come through conventional border posts and ports," she said.
"Our impact assessments have already shown a decrease in tourism numbers, with people . choosing to go elsewhere.''
Global Migration SA's Isaacson said the biggest impact of the regulations was on people travelling with children from countries that do not provide unabridged birth certificates.
He said: "Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom revealed that the number of Chinese tourists has dropped by 50%, apparently because of difficulties in reporting in person to South African consuls.
"The same effect has happened in India and European countries. Logically, if you create expensive and difficult obstacles to get around, tourists will go elsewhere," Isaacson said. Those applying for critical skills visas were waiting for anything from two months to a year for the documents.
Home Affairs responds:
The Home Affairs Department is adamant that it has given parents and guardians enough time to get unabridged birth certificates for their children. The department says in cases where a country cannot give an applicant an unabridged birth certificate for a child, the details of both parents on the child's passport would be accepted.
The department stresses that the new legislation is aimed at preventing child trafficking.
In the case that a country does not have a South African consulate, the applicant will have to apply in a neighbouring country.
"One has to apply in a neighbouring country that has a diplomatic representative. This is standard international practice," said Home Affairs spokesman Mayihlome Thwete.
He said the department was not aware of "many errors" on documents issued.
"Naturally there might be occasional errors and where these occur, the department corrects them," he said.
Read the document here : South African requirements for minors travelling internationally
The requirements - which will force anyone travelling with a child, either from or to South Africa, to have an unabridged birth certificate - have been labelled an economy killer, unworkable and a divider of families.
The new rules follow regulations that came into effect last year that require tourists to lodge their visa applications in person at a South African mission in their home country. This caused a drop in tourist arrivals, leading Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom to express concern at their impact on the multibillion-rand sector, which employs about 1.5 million people.
The birth certificate rule is expected to be an additional drag on tourism and result in considerable personal hardship.
Case# 1
A British mother who made South Africa her home 10 years ago has been given 14 days to leave or face arrest.
Her deportation orders, given to her without explanation, will tear her family apart, with her 11-year-old daughter and husband, a South African citizen, having to stay.
"They are breaking us bit by bit," said the mother, who cannot be named to protect her daughter.
The procurement specialist was brought to South Africa by her then employer. When she wanted to start her own business, and had to apply for a work visa, she hit a brick wall with Home Affairs officials. "I was informed that my daughter and I were 'illegal and undesirable'."
For nearly a year, the woman has been trying to secure a visa but has been sent from pillar to post, with Home Affairs officials telling her she does not live in the correct province for an application to be made or an office did not handle "good cause" applications.
On Wednesday last week, she was told that an application made in February had been rejected because she had not applied for a visa in 12 months.
She was given 14 days to leave the country. Her family's only remaining hope is an urgent application filed in the Pretoria High Court yesterday by immigration company Global Migration SA.
"We pray that it will lead to a stay of the deportation." said the woman. "We haven't got anywhere else to go and don't want to go anywhere else."
The managing director of Global Migration, Leon Isaacson, said the Home Affairs Department had 48 hours either to rectify the matter or respond and contest it in court.
Case #2
Ma-Setlogelo Masote wanted unabridged birth certificates for her two sons. She received only one 10 months after applying.
Her other son, she was told, did not exist on the Home Affairs system. "It is a tedious process. I have no problem with the legislation and I understand the logic behind it, but the system is just not functioning like it's supposed to," said Masote.
She was told to reapply and provide an affidavit confirming the child was hers, but is yet to receive the second certificate.
Case # 3
The Tourism Business Council of SA says Home Affairs' refusal to meet, negotiate or engage about the visa regulations spells disaster for South Africa.
"We have tried," said council CEO Mmatsatsi Ramawela. "How do you negotiate with someone who ignores two impact-assessment reports and fails to meet you?"
Regulations implemented last year require visitors to go in person to a South African consulate, where biometric data must be captured.
The latest regulations specify that visitors travelling with children must source original unabridged birth certificates for children travelling to South Africa.
"The regulations are archaic,'' said Ramawela. "Other countries are relaxing restrictions on allowing people in, but we are tightening ours while we want to grow tourism.
''We understand [the need to secure] the borders, but most illegal immigrants do not come through conventional border posts and ports," she said.
"Our impact assessments have already shown a decrease in tourism numbers, with people . choosing to go elsewhere.''
Global Migration SA's Isaacson said the biggest impact of the regulations was on people travelling with children from countries that do not provide unabridged birth certificates.
He said: "Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom revealed that the number of Chinese tourists has dropped by 50%, apparently because of difficulties in reporting in person to South African consuls.
"The same effect has happened in India and European countries. Logically, if you create expensive and difficult obstacles to get around, tourists will go elsewhere," Isaacson said. Those applying for critical skills visas were waiting for anything from two months to a year for the documents.
Home Affairs responds:
The Home Affairs Department is adamant that it has given parents and guardians enough time to get unabridged birth certificates for their children. The department says in cases where a country cannot give an applicant an unabridged birth certificate for a child, the details of both parents on the child's passport would be accepted.
The department stresses that the new legislation is aimed at preventing child trafficking.
In the case that a country does not have a South African consulate, the applicant will have to apply in a neighbouring country.
"One has to apply in a neighbouring country that has a diplomatic representative. This is standard international practice," said Home Affairs spokesman Mayihlome Thwete.
He said the department was not aware of "many errors" on documents issued.
"Naturally there might be occasional errors and where these occur, the department corrects them," he said.
Read the document here : South African requirements for minors travelling internationally
Source - Times LIVE
