ANC to push for overhaul of migration laws

EWN | 09 Jan 2023

ANC national executive committee (NEC) member David Mahlobo said this was one of resolutions taken by the party’s peace and stability commission during its 55th national elective conference.

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) said the country’s migration laws must be overhauled.

ANC national executive committee (NEC) member David Mahlobo said this was one of resolutions taken by the party’s Peace and Stability commission during its 55th national elective conference.

Mahlobo said the ANC does not support xenophobia against foreigners who live in the country.

He said that the legislation needed to be clear on how law enforcement entities deal with asylum seekers, immigrants, and refugees.

“We agreed that laws are being overhauled," said Mahlobo.

"All the migration laws we'll engage with the United Nations so that we can be able to put certain conditions around the ascension that we did make but at the very same time our view remains: Africa remains one. We must integrate."

At the party's recently-held 55th national conference at Nasrec, last month, Deputy Minister of State Security and ANC NEC member, Zizi Kodwa, said that the country's citizenship, refugee and immigration acts all needed to be overhauled and reviewed.

"Without being xenophobic, we need to create domestic stability in the country. I think an uncontrolled migration and everybody else may create social instability in the country as we have seen now."

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the ANC had a policy paper calling for the country's citizenship, refugee and immigration acts to all be reviewed.

"The system that is happening now with our immigration is not sustainable, it can't go on forever."

www.samigration.com

Anomalies in the issuing of permits and visas to foreign nationals: Aaron Motsoaledi

09 January 2023 -  #SABCNews

The Ministerial Committee Reviewing Permits and Visas has found a lot of wrongdoing on the part of the Department of Home Affairs in the issuing of these documents. It has recommended the appointment of a multi-disciplinary task team to conduct a full investigation of fraudulent applications, corrupt activities as well as maladministration that have been picked up. The long-awaited report reviewing the issuing of, among other things, resident permits, visas for critical skills, study, business as well as citizenship by naturalization has finally been tabled in Parliament. Among others, it has found that some officials have flouted rules and regulations for acquiring South African citizenship. Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi joins us now for this discussion.

Watch Video Here: 

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This is how attracting Chinese tourists can help SA industry recover, suggests hospitality expert

News24 – 09 January 2023

China had the world's largest outbound tourism market before the pandemic.

• China is about to open its borders for international travel after imposing strict travel bans when the Covid-19 pandemic started.
• In 2019, the number of outbound Chinese tourists peaked at nearly 155 million, of which just over 93 000 chose SA.
• The national chair of hospitality industry body, Fedhasa, says the Chinese market can help the SA tourism industry recover.

China is about to reopen its borders, and now is the time for South Africa's tourism industry to capture a slice of this lucrative outbound tourist market, says Rosemary Anderson, the national chair of hospitality industry body, Fedhasa.  

The South African tourism industry was hard hit by Covid-19 travel restrictions, says Anderson, and attracting visitors from China could be one way of boosting recovery.

China had the world's largest outbound tourism market before the pandemic.

In 2019, the number of outbound Chinese tourists peaked at nearly 155 million. South Africa only attracted just over 93 000 Chinese travellers. 

"There are hopes that the pent-up demand for travel likely to exist in China could benefit South Africa in 2023. Of course, the opportunity of increasing inbound arrivals from China must be seen within our priority to keep South Africans safe," says Anderson.

"We are confident our government authorities will lead with science to ascertain whether or not it is necessary to introduce screening measures for incoming travellers from China as other countries have done."

Several countries are introducing Covid-19 testing and other measures for travellers from China. This has evoked criticism from the Chinese government as well as some in the travel industry.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), for example, sees such measures as a "knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years".

"Governments should listen to the advice of experts, including the WHO, that advise against travel restrictions. We have the tools to manage Covid-19 without resorting to ineffective measures that cut off international connectivity, damage economies and destroy jobs," states IATA.

'Massive potential' 

Anderson says there are ways in which SA can make itself a more attractive destination for Chinese tourists.

"South Africa has long sought to attract Chinese travellers, but numbers have remained low. We hope that as part of [the SA government's] efforts to ease visa applications, our government will recognise the massive potential held by the Chinese market in helping our recovery," says Anderson.

Furthermore, she points out that it would be a mistake to assume that the Chinese market is homogenous.

"There isn't such a thing as a 'Chinese tourist'. Like any market, they are diverse in their budgets, ages, interests and travel motivations. Well-heeled Chinese tourists transformed destinations, like Las Vegas and Perth, with their luxury travel spend," says Anderson.

Countries like Australia, the US and Japan - all popular among Chinese travellers - have introduced several initiatives to improve their attractiveness over the years. Some initiatives include employing aligned public and private sector marketing initiatives specifically aimed at the Chinese market. For example, ensuring destination and product information is available on Chinese search engines and marketing on Chinese social media channels, like Weibo and WeChat. 

"We should also have a strong trade focus as much of the international travel booked from China is done through travel agents and tour operators," says Anderson.

Other ways to become more "Chinese tourist-friendly" include offering payment platforms, like WeChat Pay and Alipay, being aware of when Chinese holidays take place, learning key phrases in Mandarin, and training tourist guides to speak Mandarin. One can also offer dining experiences aimed at Chinese tastes.

"It would be useful for establishments and their staff to undergo some form of 'China readiness' training beforehand," suggests Anderson.

Michael Puffet, business development manager of booking platform Profitroom South Africa, says after the pandemic, it seems tourists want to add meaning to their international travels.

"Trying to predict the future is always a tricky business, but barring any more black swan events, we are confident that SA's travel industry will continue to show signs of improved health," says Puffet.

"By using technology [to gather data about] people's desires for more meaningful, flexible or holistic travel experiences, [one] can not only help ensure the sustainability of the travel industry, but the places people travel to as well.

www.samigration.com

Anyone can live and work in Svalbard visa-free — just don't run out of money, and abide by its rules

Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago by the North Pole, is one of the world's only visa-free zones. 

• But residents who can't support themselves or find housing can be expelled by the governor.
• Insider spoke with four locals (one of whom was deported) about what it's like to work in Svalbard.

In a world where your passport dictates where you can live, travel, and work, there's a semi-frozen haven open to citizens of all countries — no complicated visa or employment permits required. 

Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago 500 miles from the North Pole, is home to the world's northernmost human settlement. The 2,300 residents of the capital, Longyearbyen, include people of over 40 different nationalities, few of whom are "from" Svalbard, per say. 

That's because you're not allowed to give birth on Svalbard — one of the many strange rules that govern existence on the remote collection of islands covered by ice. 

There are surprises of course, whom the town endearingly calls "Svalbard babies" even when they're grown, Cecilia Blomdahl, a popular content creator based in Longyearbyen, said in an interview with Insider. 

Among Svalbard's other odd rules left over from its days as a coal mining town include a monthly alcohol limit (24 beers, half a bottle of fortified wine, and one bottle of liquor), and a ban on cats to protect the bird population. 

But the most important rule of all: Don't run out of money. And certainly don't find yourself without a home. 

While the Svalbard treaty of 1920 permits anyone to live and work on the archipelago indefinitely, its open borders come with an asterisk: You must have enough money to support yourself and a roof over your head, or risk expulsion from the territory.

"You can stay here for as long as you can take care of yourself," Blomdahl said. "That means how you get to work, how you live, your housing — nothing will be provided for you."

Despite being a sovereignty of Norway, Svalbard employees pay an 8% income tax and local businesses contribute zero taxes toward the country's national insurance program (the mainland's current tax rate is 14% and 22% respectively). As a result, there are no retirement homes, public transport, homeless shelters, unemployment benefits, or really any social safety net you can think of. 

Nobody understands this trade off quite like Mark Sabbatini, the founder and editor of IcePeople, "the world's northernmost alternative newspaper," who was kicked off Svalbard in 2021 after living in Longyearbyen for over a decade. 

He moved to the island from the US in 2008 with around $1 million dollars in the bank and ambitions to launch an English-language newspaper, Sabbatini told Insider. 

Global immigration news

Smith Stone Walters| 3 January 2023

This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from the European Union, Ireland, Lithuania and New Zealand.

European Union: Croatia becomes latest Schengen country

The European Council has decided to extend the Schengen Area to Croatia, but not yet to Bulgaria or Romania.

From 1 January 2023, checks on persons at internal land and sea borders between Croatia and the other countries in the Schengen area will be lifted. Checks at internal air borders will be lifted from 26 March 2023, given the need for this to coincide with the dates of IATA summer/winter time schedule. From 1 January 2023, Croatia will also start to issue Schengen visas and will be able to make full use of the Schengen Information System.

Since its accession to the EU, Croatia has applied parts of the Schengen acquis, including those related to the external border controls, police cooperation and the use of the Schengen Information System.

Ireland: Single application procedure for employment permits and immigration permissions

The Irish government has agreed in principle to develop a single application procedure for employment permits and immigration permissions. An interdepartmental working group will be established to develop an implementation plan and associate timeframes.

Currently to work in Ireland, a person from outside the European Economic Area has to first make an application to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for a work permit, and then make a second application to the Department of Justice for an immigration permission.

Eight weeks is the average processing time cited by the Department of Justice for employment and study visas. The processing time can vary across the visa office and embassy network depending on local circumstances.

All Employment Permit applications are currently being processed in between 3 and 5 business days by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Lithuania: Temporary residence permits to be issued in 34 countries from 2023

From 2 January 2023, foreign nationals can apply for temporary residence permits in 34 different countries via VFS Global offices. Previously, applications for a temporary residence permit could only be submitted by booking an appointment at the Migration Department after the applicant had legally arrived in Lithuania.

Citizens of all foreign countries can apply to VFS Global offices, regardless of whether they reside in the country where such services are provided.

Countries where VFS Global will have offices include Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malaysia, Moldova, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Republic of South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Venezuela.

VFS Global is authorized to provide customers with information on the procedure for issuing temporary residence permits, accept applications and mandatory documents, collect personal and biometric data, and transfer them to the Migration Department. In all cases, decisions on the issuance or non-issuance of a temporary residence permit will be made by the Migration Department in 1 to 3 months.

VFS Global will also be obliged to collect Lithuanian state fees for the services. Acceptance, examination, decision-making and document issuance of an application for a temporary residence permit are generally charged at 120 euros.

After the Migration Department makes a decision to issue a temporary residence permit in Lithuania, the produced card will be sent to the applicant, who will be able to enter Lithuania with a valid residence permit and will not need to obtain an additional visa. If a foreign national has a visa that entitles them to enter Lithuania, or uses the visa-free regime, they will be able to pick up an already-issued temporary residence permit card in Lithuania.

In addition, from 2 January 2023, amendments to the Law “On the Legal Status of Foreigners” enter into force, according to which the deadlines for examining applications for temporary residence permits are shortened by 1 month.

New Zealand: Range of visa updates announced

Several changes to New Zealand’s immigration rules were announced in December 2022.

Straight to Residence Green List pathway

From 15 December 2022, registered nurses and midwives will move from the Work to Residence to the Straight to Residence Green List pathway. All medical doctors will also be included on the Straight to Residence pathway. From March 2023, auditors will also be added to the Straight to Residence Green List pathway.

Work to Residence Green List pathway

It was also announced that the following professions will be added to the Work to Residence Green List pathway from March 2023:

• Civil construction supervisors
• Gasfitters
• Drainlayers
• Skilled crane operators
• Skilled civil machine operators
• Halal slaughterers
• Skilled motor mechanics
• Skilled telecommunications technicians
• All secondary school teachers (in addition to the specialisations already on the Green List)
• Primary school teachers

The Green List will next be reviewed in mid-2023

Open Work Visa for people unable to use Post Study Visas in 2020–2021

People who held a Post Study Work Visa but were unable to use it due to the border closing in March 2020 will be eligible for a 12-month Open Work Visa if they’re not already in New Zealand on another visa.

Pathway for Critical Purpose Visitor Visa holders staying in same role

The government is introducing a streamlined Specific Purpose Work Visa that long-term critical workers can apply for to allow them to continue to work in their current role for up to three years.

The process will be streamlined, so the only employment-related information an applicant needs to provide is a letter from their employer confirming that they remain employed in the same role and on the same (or better) conditions as those that were approved in the Critical Purpose Visitor Visa application.

Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) employer accreditation extension

Employer accreditations under the Accredited Employer Work Visa will automatically be extended by 12 months if their first accreditation is applied for by 4 July 2023.

This one-off extension will provide employers with certainty as we head into 2023 that they will continue to have access to skilled labour without the additional cost and administrative burden of reapplying for accreditation.

Expansion of the accreditation system to cover all migrants, including those with open work rights will be deferred until 2024. The delay will allow Government to progress other priorities like the review of the Skilled Migrant Category and family and partnership immigration settings.

Sector Agreement for bus and truck drivers

Bus and truck drivers will have a time limited residence pathway through a sector agreement. Officials will consult with transport sector representatives in the development of the agreement.

www.samigration.com