Home Affairs may overhaul immigration system

Motsoaledi said this when he tabled the department’s Budget Vote priorities during a mini plenary of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Devdiscourse   : 27-05-2022

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has hinted that the department has decided to overhaul its immigration system and that details of this will soon be announced.

Motsoaledi said this when he tabled the department's Budget Vote priorities during a mini plenary of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

"…Another elephant in the room is the problem of immigration. I don't have to outline what is taking place in our country about this problem. It is a crisis we are all well aware of," he said.

This following a recent rise in tensions between South African citizens and foreign nationals in several communities, with the main issue being unhappiness with undocumented immigrants taking up economic activities, while others have been fingered to be contributing to crime.

"For today, it will suffice to say we have decided on a complete overhaul of the immigration system of the country.

"Complete overhaul means exactly that. Work in this regard is well underway and we will soon unveil it."

Border Management Authority being capacitated

Motsoaledi said, meanwhile, that the much-anticipated Border Management Authority was being implemented.

"We have long conceded to the problem of porous borders in our country. You are aware that the implementation of the newly-established Border Management Authority is well underway," he said.

He said the Commissioner and his two Deputies are hard at work to establish the structure.

"Recruitment of first cohort of Border Guards has been completed and they will be brought in next week for onboarding, which includes an orientation programme and deployment to the selected areas of the borderline which are known to be problematic."

He said it is hoped that this cohort will be officially launched in the first days of the next quarter.

Tackling corruption

Motsoaledi said a Counter Corruption Unit, established just under a year ago, has in a short period of time made headway in tackling corruption.

The number of arrests of kingpins and syndicates speaks for itself, said the Minister.

About 60% of the cases Counter Corruption is dealing with have to do with immigration issues, especially matters of permitting, which is a further testimony on why there is a need to completely overhaul the immigration system of the country.

"Let me inform you that in the coming weeks we will continue to arrest more and more people, both foreign nationals and South Africans involved in passports fraud and other forms of identity theft as well as corruption.

"Since the arrest of the Pakistani kingpin of passports fraud on 24 March this year, the Counter Corruption unit cannot find time to rest.

South Africans from all walks of life, including members of Parliament are reporting to them acts of fraud and corruption on a daily basis.

"This is heart-warming and indicates that our people are tired of corruption. We shall root it out without fear, favour or prejudice and we promise never to be intimidated or derailed by anybody."

Motsoaledi said the department was adding 12 new staff members to the Counter Corruption unit. These will include analysts, researchers and investigators

www.samigration.com

Aaron Motsoaledi reveals Home Affairs to open offices in malls

IOL -27 May  2022

Cape Town - Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has announced the department would open offices in shopping malls across the country to take pressure off other offices.

Motsoaledi told Parliament on Tuesday the project would start with Menlyn Mall in Pretoria and the equipment would be installed in September.

This is one of the interventions the government is implementing ahead of building 15 new offices in different parts of the country.

He said the opening of the offices in the shopping malls would come as an important intervention.

The department will also be hiring more staff members to beef up their front-line service points after National Treasury gave it more than R200 million to do so.

Motsoaledi said there were a number of interventions they would implement to jack up the Department of Home Affairs.

He said they intended to overhaul the immigration services because of the problems of fraud and corruption.

The arrest of the Pakistani syndicate in March was not the end as they planned to take on more syndicates.

“As an immediate relief measure we have been engaging several malls in our country.

“Operating offices at malls will obviate the problem of queuing in the sun or rain,” said Motsoaledi.

“We will start with Menlyn in Pretoria, Cresta Mall and Southgate Mall in Joburg, the Pavillion in eThekwini and Tygervalley Mall in Cape Town,” he said.

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“Since the malls have to move tenants around to make way for Home Affairs we will install our equipment in the malls around September this year.

“We shall start with Menlyn Mall in Pretoria and then roll out to the rest of the country,” said Motsoaledi.

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Worker, retiree or investor: What type of Spanish visa do I need?

The Local – 27 May 2022

If you’re from a non-EU country you will need a visa in order to stay in Spain for longer than 90 days, but knowing which type of permit is best for you can be tricky. Here's how to find the right one for you based on your circumstances.

If you are a citizen of a non-EU country then you may benefit from the 90-day rule, allowing you to visit Spain for 90 days out of every 180 without needing a visa. Countries including the UK, USA, Canada and Australia all benefit from this rule.

Citizens of certain countries require a visa even for a short trip.

However, the tricky part comes when you want to move to Spain and spend longer than just those three months. What are your visa options, whether you want to move to Spain to retire, to work or even to set up your own business? 

Retirees:

The best option for retirees is to apply for the non-lucrative visa (NLV). This allows you to live in Spain for one year, but as the name suggests you are not allowed to work.

In order to apply an applicant must show they have €27,792 at their disposal for one year (€34,740 if it’s a couple), as well as comprehensive health insurance.

If you want to stay in Spain beyond this year, you can either renew it for a further two years (again proving you have the financial means) or change your visa for a work permit or a self-employed permit through the residence modification process.

The NLV is also the best option for those who want to live abroad temporarily. Those who want to stay in Spain for more than three months, but are not planning on living here permanently. It’s ideal for those on a sabbatical for example who have savings or investments and who do not need to work in Spain while here, but want to stay here for a year. It’s also the best option for those who have the financial means to do so.

If you plan on moving to Spain for work or in order to look for a job, then you will need a work permit. Unfortunately getting a work permit can be tricky because in most cases as a non-EU national, the position you apply for must be on Spain’s shortage occupation list.

Your employer will also have to prove that there were no other suitable candidates within the EU to be able to fulfill the vacancy. This means that only highly skilled workers or those that work in industries that need workers are likely to be successful. These mostly include jobs in the maritime or fishing industries or sports coaches.

If you are wanting to become self-employed, then the entrepreneur visa could be a good option, allowing you to live in Spain for one year in order to open up a business. Be aware however your business must be considered as anything of innovative character with special economic interest for Spain.

You will have to prove you have the necessary qualifications to set up your business and will also have to submit your business plan to the authorities for it to be approved. The entrepreneur visa can be extended for a further two years after your initial one has been granted.

Investors:

If money is no object and you want to invest in a Spanish property then, you’ll want to apply for Spain’s golden visa. To be eligible, you must invest €500,000 before taxes in a property here. It won’t allow you to work, but it will allow you access to the entire Schengen area. This will also allow your spouse and any dependent children to move to Spain with you.

Another option for investors is the entrepreneur visa as described above, if you want to use your investment to set up a business in Spain.

Joining family members:

If you happen to have a family member who is an EU citizen and lives in Spain or a non-EU relative that has residency in Spain, then you have another option. This is called the family reunification visa. However, in order to be eligible, you need to be a spouse or a dependent child and your relative must have the means to financially support you. 

Students:

Enrolling on a course and applying for a student visa is one way for non-EU citizens of any age can live in Spain beyond the regular length of a tourist stay. 

You will have to apply for a short-term or long-term student visa, depending on the length of their course. A student advantages can several advantages such as being able to work part-time or bringing over family members. 

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Foreigners "ready for war" against Operation Dudula. Look at what they are saying

The Citizen – 27 May 2022

In April, following the death of Operation Dudula member, Kgomotso Diale, residents of Pimville expressed their disappointment in the government and the police for failing to protect them against crime. Diale was shot and killed by illegal foreigners after a confrontation about cable theft. Police Minister, Bheki Cele had to visit the area where residents got to speak directly to him.

Leader of Operation Dudula, Nhlanhla Lux, gave Cele a strong warning, saying that if the informal settlements in Soweto are not removed in 30 days, the community will rise and ensure they are removed. Lux also made demands that the Police Minister should charge politicians who encouraged people to grab land. "If these illegal immigrants are not out of the squatter camps by May 28, it will be a Saturday, you might as well prepare a mass funeral because we are going guns blazing", Nhlanhla said right in front of Bheki Cele.

May 28 is almost here. It's only five days to go until informal settlements housing illegal foreigners are removed in Pimville and Soweto. However, the foreign nationals say they are not going anywhere and they are ready to fight. According to The Citizen, the imigrants said they would not be bullied by people who fail to hold their government responsible for corruption and failure to deliver services. The foreigners are saying South Africans are weak, hence government is doing as it pleases with them.

It is only in SA where foreigners will plot to go in war with citizens. Ramaphosa is neglecting South Africans and there will be war. When Kgomotso Diale was shot, the foreigners were not scared of anyone. They were heavily armed and shooting at South Africans who were unarmed. They have been raging war against South Africans for some time now, it's only now that they have decided to publicly declare so. If now they say they are ready for war, what are their plans? What measures is government taking to ensure at there is no war?They say they will not be bullied by people who fail to hold their government to account? But they are here in SA, running away from their own governments which have been buying them.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, HomeAffairsSA Immigration Officials were on the ground to ensure that those within Gauteng province especially from the neighbouring countries have proper documentation as required by law.

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German teachers working in SA pins their hopes on Chancellor’s visit

27 May 2022, - @SABCNews

Some German teachers in South Africa say they hope the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will discuss the challenges of visas and their work permits.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is hosting the German Chancellor on an official visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Both leaders are expected to discuss issues of bilateral and global concerns including ways to enhance cooperation in the areas of energy and climate change among others.

Germany is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner and in tourism the third-largest single source for overseas arrivals. And trade and investment have been central to bilateral relations between the two countries with at least 600 German companies doing business in the country. With the country’s total trade with Germany estimated at around R266 billion, President Cyril Ramaphosa wants to use the visit to increase the trade volumes.

Presidential spokesperson, Tyrone Seale explains, “President Ramaphosa and Chancellor Scholz will exchange views on a number of issues of bilateral and international concern, including ways to enhance cooperation in areas such as energy and climate change, trade and investment, and responses to COVID-19 and vaccine demand. They will also reflect on developments on the African continent and internationally, including the conflict in Ukraine and its impact on the international economy and food and energy security.”

But the Germans working in South Africa are also pinning their hopes on the visit of their Chancellor. Teachers at the German International School in Johannesburg want their Chancellor to exchange notes on how to turn the energy crisis in South Africa around, insisting the intermittent power outage disrupts their teaching and learning.

“Some challenges such as load shedding, we are a quite a modern school we use digital boards, projectors and a lot of computers and this is a challenge when it comes to stage three and stage four. So we’re losing some lessons.”

“Me and my husband are trying solar energy to be independent of the grid but anyway you need to get used to it and the circumstances and sometimes it’s just nice and romantic to sit in the candle as well.”

The German International School in Johannesburg is one of the three in the country and has an enrolment of over 1 000 learners with 80 percent of them being local with at least 20 percent of them not paying any fees as they are from poor family backgrounds mainly from Soweto.

The School principal, Thomas Bachmeier says they are also struggling with their visas and work permits and want the Chancellor to help them with this challenge.

Principal at the German International School Thomas Bachmeier says, “Work permit for people from Germany and is also a challenge like I said 10 to 15 percent of our teachers need to come from Germany and sometimes is delayed and sometimes we struggle to get a renewal on time.”

And the sentiments are also shared by teachers alike. Tanja Henrichs says with their school being virtually free for learners from poor backgrounds like Soweto, they want government to allow more German learners into the country and for their work permits renewal to be fast-tracked.

“We don’t have many German learners, we need to learn the language easy for all our children and we have learners from 30 nations and most of them don’t have German at home so it would be nice to have some more German teachers but it’s easy with the political situation nowadays. For us is difficult to get visas and to get contracts and is very important for us that politicians are set into a frame so that we work efficiently together.”

Both President Ramaphosa and Chancellor Scholz will also join the South Africa-German consortium that will advance technology research for the production of sustainable aviation fuels. I am Ntebo Mokobo in Johannesburg.

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