Like a deer in the headlights

City Press – 11 April 2022

Listening to Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and some of his Cabinet colleagues talking about the immigration question, you could be forgiven for believing that they were powerless folk.

It is as if the crisis of illegal immigration and the pressure it puts on public resources and services just miraculously happened.

You would also swear that nobody foresaw the violent backlash from working class South Africans against foreign nationals.

Motsoaledi was on JJ Tabane’s show Power to Truth on TV channel eNCA this week, pontificating about this crisis.

It is really bizarre that government seems to be waking up to this tinderbox issue only now that the populists and vigilantes are fanning the flames of hate towards immigrants and taking the law into their own hands.

One of the myriad disasters of those who have run our country for the past 28 years is the failure to manage immigration.

We say this recognising that the illegal movement of people across the borders is inevitable, as South Africa is perceived as an island of prosperity on the continent.

With wave after wave of undocumented immigrants flowing into the country and making this their home, government has been like a deer caught in the headlights.

Besides the pointless exercise of arresting those who are undocumented and deporting them, very little sustainable work is done to manage the crisis. The borders have remained porous, enabling the deported to immediately make their way back to South Africa as soon as they have said their hellos to their families and friends.

Government even failed to heed the bloody warnings of the massive xenophobic outbreaks in 2008 and 2015, and the sporadic flare-ups that take place from time to time in different locales.

Now government has promised to intensify its border management efforts. But that only tackles the inflow of the new immigrants.

The question is: What can be done about the millions of undocumented immigrants who are already in the country and are the targets of populists who prey on the grievances of the poor?

The opportunists who are waging a campaign of vigilantism are filling a leadership vacuum left by government’s paralysis.

www.samigration.com

Don’t have a visa? Not to worry. South Africans to get visa on arrival when travelling to Egypt

IOL 11-04-2022

Egypt announced this week that South Africans travelling to Egypt for tourism no longer have to acquire a visa in advance from Egyptian embassies. They can now get their visa upon arrival at Cairo International Airport.

The land of the pharaohs is a destination that has long been on the bucket list of many South Africans given Egypt’s rich cultural heritage and attractively priced seaside resorts. According to an Egypt Today report, on April 3 The Pharaohs’ Golden Parade celebrated its first anniversary.

Golden Parade was an event held in Cairo on April 3, 2021, during which 22 mummies were moved from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation in Fustat.

Although Egyptian tourists travelling to South Africa still need to get a visa in advance, Egypt’s Ambassador to South Africa HE Ahmed El Fadly hopes that this move will encourage South Africa to consider following Egypt’s example. He said it would “enhance people-to-people relations between Africa’s two largest economies” and might one day lead to the lifting of all visa requirements between the two.

El Fadly said that this decision by Egypt, which for now doesn’t apply to any other African country, means that travel to Egypt is now easier for South Africans especially given the resumption of Egypt Air’s regular direct flights from Cairo to Johannesburg.

He said that Egypt expected the number of travellers from South Africa to increase significantly.

The Egyptian Embassy said visas upon arrival would be valid for a period of 30 days and that this this procedure puts South African tourists on par with visitors that come to Egypt from the EU, Japan, the US and Canada.

Egypt Travel and Covid-19

Travellers who have a Covid test on arrival should stay in their hotel room until they receive the result, which takes 12 – 24 hours.

In the case of a positive result, self-isolation for 14 days is mandatory. The traveller covers the cost of this test.

People travelling to the coastal governorates with a valid vaccination certificate do not need to get tested before departure or on arrival.

At the airport, passengers arriving from overseas will be asked to present this certificate, a public health declaration form, and proof of health insurance.

www.samigration.com

How much a UK visa will cost South Africans in 2022

Businesstech  - 11 April 2022

Every year on 6 April, the prices of most UK visas increase as the Home Office revises pricing,.

Immigration Health Surcharge

“If you are moving to the UK for more than six months, you will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS),” said Dunn. The IHS allows the use of the National Health Service (NHS) as soon as you arrive in the UK.

“Paying this surcharge gives you access to free basic medical care while you are in the UK.”

Below is a table that shows the fees charged by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI):

Current conversion rate: £1/R19.23.

How does the IHS work?

The IHS is an upfront fee that is paid in full along with your visa application.

The amount you’ll have to pay depends on which visa you are applying for and how long you’ll be staying in the UK, said Dunn.

The current fee is R12,000/£624. If you’re applying for an Ancestry visa which is valid for five years, you’ll have to pay R60,000/£3,120 upfront as part of your application.

The surcharges for other common visas are as follows:

• Spouse visa – R23,993
• Spousal extension – R23,993
• Youth Mobility Scheme – R18,071
• Student visa – R9,035

Correct Application

Every year, thousands of visa applications are rejected because they are filled out incorrectly or applicants haven’t included the right documents, said Dunn.

“The Home Office will keep your visa fee whether your application gets accepted or denied, to avoid throwing money away, or paying the same amount twice, it’s important that your application is as watertight as possible.”

www.samigration.com

Do you have a special exemption visa or permit  - Need to Change ?

Check all information directly with VFS / DHA or a registered immigration practitioner or immigration lawyer this circulating in your community , it is not factually correct , this is for SA MIGRATION holders . If you are unskilled Department of Labour will definitely not grant a waiver , get professional advice from a registered immigration practitioner

Good evening dear members. We now have Immigration Directive 12 of 2021. I would like to encourage all of you without or with professional qualifications etc who would want to apply for a General Work permit later to apply for a Waiver within the next 9 days and Department of Home Affairs have said they will process your waivers applications before 31 March 2022. If your waiver applications is successful and granted, you will be able to apply for a General Work Permit without a need to have documentations required like certificates, Saqa documentation, police clearance, newspaper adverts etc. They will only then need your employers letter, valid passport and covid vaccination certificate to apply for the General Work Permit when your waiver applications is successful.

What is a Waiver?

It is an application made in South Africa and adjudicated by the Department of Home Affairs. In order to apply for a waiver the applicant must be in possession of a valid refugee or immigration status (eg a valid SA MIGRATION Permit and not an expired one).

The minister yesterday issues Directive 12 of 2021 and on (a) he said he will need until 31 March 2022 to make outcomes for all Waivers applied for. And anyone who doesn't have a Waiver or General Work Permit Application by 1 April 2022 will be described as "undesirable" and will have to to 31 December 2022 to pack bags and kids and return to Home country without being formally charged at the border or legal port of exit to avoid being deported

Here is fake link https://www.vfsvisaonline.com/DHAFOSOnli.../gatewaypage.aspx “

Sa Migration says

“ Here is part of the way to mislead people , the link above is a real VFS visa page and when you capture the page it goes back to home page and it goes nowhere , it was taken out of context – check the real VFS pages https://www.vfsglobal.com/dha/southafrica/ “

Please contact us for the real information , following the advice will lead you to heart break

How can we help you , please email us to info@samigration.com whatsapp me on:

+27 82 373 8415, where are you now? check our website : www.samigration.com

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https://g.page/SAMigration?gm

Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi to Hold UN Meeting on SA Illegal Immigration Challenges

Briefly - 10 April, 2022

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is committed to working on the illegal immigration issue in South Africa

He said borders are the biggest cause of concern as there is less focus on them and criminals often seek asylum in the country

The Home Affairs Minister added that foreign nationals who are in South Africa legally have nothing to fear

Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is working to address the country’s illegal immigrant challenge.

He said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees wants a High-Level Tripartite meeting to be held between the government and diplomats to find solutions for undocumented foreign nationals.

Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, hold UN meeting, SA immigration challenges, border, foreigners Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has spoken out on the country's immigration challenges.

Motsoaledi said during an interview with SABC News that the National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee’s intelligence estimate showed that the biggest issue is at borders because there is less focus on them.

The minister questioned how criminals can be accepted as refugees in the country and said that because anyone is allowed in South Africa, it has become a haven for criminals

Motsoaledi said not every person is a poor asylum seeker, but some are “thugs”. He added that the time to relax is over and that people who are here legally, and who have done nothing illegal have nothing to fear.

www.samigration.com