Foreign nationals, who are camped outside the Department of Home Affairs offices in Durban, used their mobile phones last night to watch President Cyril Ramaphosa's address on the immigration issue. The group who have been outside the premises for the past few weeks, claims violence and threats led them to flee their homes in the CBD.
Image: AFP
As anti-immigrant tensions have been reported across the country and resulted in at least two reported deaths of foreign nationals, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday night announced that the government will be taking action to tackle the issue of illegal immigrants.
Some of the key actions announced by the president include enforcement of immigration, labour and other laws. There have been a wave of anti-immigrant protests across the country including in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Reports of violence have been reported in some areas including in Mossel Bay where the deaths of two Mozambican nationals were confirmed by police last week. The men had been murdered amid protests in an informal settlement.
One of the groups at the forefront of the protests is March and March. The group has called on undocumented migrants to leave the country by June 30, despite government appeals for calm. Some foreign nationals have already left South Africa because of growing fears of violence and a planned shutdown at the end of June.
Members of the March and March movement took to the streets in recent demonstrations, drawing attention and controversy over their rhetoric and the broader debate on immigration, crime, and social cohesion in South Africa.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers
In his address, Ramaphosa said that citizens have raised valid concerns about migration and illegal immigration.
“Many South Africans are asking difficult but legitimate questions…They are concerned about safety, security and the rule of law. These concerns are real. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to be addressed,” Ramaphosa said.
He said South Africa has immigration laws that need to be respected, and the country has a right to prevent irregular migration. Only authorised government officials may act against violations of the law, and that “no other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street to demand proof of nationality”.
Some of the key actions include a concerted crackdown on violations of existing immigration, labour and other laws.
The Department of Home Affairs, Border Management Authority (BMA), SAPS and other law enforcement agencies have been and will intensify the process of identifying and deporting undocumented foreign nationals residing illegally in South Africa.
He said that in the past year alone, the BMA stopped over 450,000 people who were attempting to enter the country illegally. He added that they will set up dedicated courts to deal with immigration.
SAPS, Home Affairs and the Department of Employment and Labour are also increasing inspections targeting companies employing undocumented foreign nationals.
The Department of Employment and Labour launched the phased recruitment of 10,000 inspectors for this financial year. They will also increase the penalties, including imprisonment, for employers who violate the Immigration Act.
Ramaphosa added that secure borders are not a sign of hostility towards other countries.
“We will therefore continue to invest in modern technology, infrastructure and personnel... We will undertake a phased relocation of refugee reception centres to border posts, starting with the Tshwane centre this year,” Ramaphosa said.
“Many other countries have refugee reception centres close to the place where refugees enter the country seeking asylum or refuge. The relocation of refugee reception centres closer to our borders is intended to ensure that asylum applications are processed more efficiently,” he said.
The third action will be continuing the crackdown on corruption. They will pursue these cases relentlessly of officials who sell documents, facilitate unlawful entry or abuse public office.
“We are establishing an Intelligent Population Register that contains biometric data for every person in the country, laying the foundation for a Digital ID,” Ramaphosa said. “At the same time, we will progressively discontinue the green ID books, which have enabled identity theft by undocumented immigrants and criminal syndicates.”
Home Affairs will set a date after which the green ID books will not be recognised. He added that they 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 the identification laws of our country within the next 3 months.”
He added that they will close gaps in the existing laws and the loopholes which regulate immigration. He said that the government has finalised the National Labour Migration Policy, which proposes maximum quotas for the employment of documented foreign nationals, and deals with the prosecutions of employers hiring undocumented workers.
Ramaphosa said that the Employment Services Amendment Bill has been approved by Cabinet. This will empower the Minister to set quotas in respect of the employment of foreign nationals.
“The Department of Small Business Development, working with the South African Local Government Association, will complete the process of ensuring small and informal businesses are properly registered. It will also provide support for South African informal businesses through the Spaza Shop Fund.”
He added that only the authorised government officials may act against violations of the law, including violation of immigration laws.
“As communities and as a society, we must not be tempted to join those who want us to turn against people who were not born in South Africa and who are in our midst. We will and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilise our country through inciting lawlessness and violence.
“We will act against forces who are exploiting the concerns of our people about illegal immigration to further their own political, personal or criminal agendas.”
Additional Reporting Mercury Reporter