Mitchells Plain Home Affairs sees people queuing  for hours in cold and rain with no guarantee of service

Groundup - 19 Apr 2022 

‘Most of us have been standing here since 3am’ says 60-year-old man.

Over 100 people braved the cold morning drizzle to queue outside the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in Mitchells Plain on Wednesday. Most were there to apply for identity documents or register births.

At 7am, Home Affairs officials started asking people near the front of the line what assistance they needed. At 8am, security sanitised and allowed the first ten people inside the gate.

Rasheed Galant, 60, who had covered himself with a black plastic bag, wanted to apply for a temporary ID. “I left my home in Lentegeur hurriedly to join the queue and only realised when I arrived around 3am that I don’t have a jacket and it’s drizzling … It’s cold … Pregnant women are just standing here with no assistance or chair to sit on. Most of us have been standing here since 3am,” he said.

Galant, who said he lost his job at a construction company in Hanover Park during Covid-19, said he borrowed R100 to pay for transport for a round trip to Home Affairs.

“I promised to pay it back when I get my R350 [Covid Grant]. I came here two weeks ago, but the machines [computers] were offline. At Sassa they refused to serve me without an original copy from DHA,” he said.

Vandim Willaims said he arrived at 2am to apply for a temporary ID. He complained that people are not treated with dignity at the Home Affairs office, as there was no shelter, seating or toilets available for those who are forced to wait for hours to be served.

“I have seen people sleeping outside DHA offices; others selling their ticket numbers to other people. When Home Affairs officials come in, they don’t even greet. They see us as animals. People are frustrated,” he said.

Nicky Davids, brought her two children to apply for IDs. “Why don’t they suggest that Home Affairs goes once a year to schools to register learners for ID? Now parents are missing work and children missing school. We have to sit the whole day and sometimes without getting service,” she said.

People from Mitchells Plain, Philippi, Delft and surrounding areas queue for hours outside the Home Affairs office. Some are sent away without being helped. (Photo: Tariro Washinyira)

Also at the gates of Home Affairs was a group of protesters supported by Democratic Alliance (DA) members. They were demanding that the office increase staff in order to help more people per day. They also want staff to be professional when dealing with clients, for the long queues to be addressed, and for adequate facilities to be provided for people coming to the office during winter.

They handed over a memorandum, signed by ward councillors, to DHA office manager Shereen Meyer and district operations manager Irmgard Michaels.

Meyer told GroundUp: “We will attend to the memorandum. I still have to go via my principals and then we will respond.”

Home Affairs was given two weeks to respond after which members of the provincial parliament have promised to escalate the matter.

Ricardo Mackenzie, DA Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, said: “We call for an urgent debate on service delivery matters in Home Affairs because when Home Affairs don’t work South Africa doesn’t work … We are sitting with undocumented individuals with no IDs because of Home Affairs’ failure to document people properly. Last year in the parliamentary debate, Home Affairs said they are busy addressing … almost a year later nothing has been done,” he said

 

www.samigration.com                 

 

 

 

Boris Johnson wants first ‘illegal’ migrants flown to Rwanda in six weeks

Evening Standard – 19-04-2022

 

The Prime Minister wants to see the first migrants handed a ‘one-way ticket’ to Rwanda flown out in roughly six weeks as the Government battles to curb Channel crossings.

Boris Johnson is reportedly keen for the first flight carrying those deemed to have arrived in the UK illegally – including those taking to the water to embark on the perilous journey in small boats – to leave late next month, marking the start of plans to move thousands within the next few years.

But the Government is braced for the widely criticised plans to be challenged in the courts, which could prove an obstacle to their progress.

Andrew Griffith, the director of policy at No 10, said it is hoped the scheme will be operational in “weeks, or a small number of months”.

Asked when he expects the first person will be sent to Rwanda, the Conservative MP told BBC Newsnight: “It doesn’t require new legislation – we think that we can do this under the existing conventions.

“And therefore this should be possible to be implemented and operationalised in weeks, or a small number of months. So we are ready to go in that sense.”

Both Mr Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel have acknowledged the plans could be challenged in the courts.

Andrew Griffith, the director of policy at No 10, said it is hoped the scheme will be operational in ‘weeks, or a small number of months’ (Aaron Chown/PA) / PA Wire

The costs of the programme remain uncertain, but The Times reported that each migrant sent to Rwanda is expected to set British taxpayers back between £20,000 and £30,000.

The newspaper said this would cover accommodation both before and after the journey, as well as the cost of a seat on the flight itself.

It comes as the Home Secretary has struck a £120-million economic deal with Rwanda, and cash for each removal is expected to follow.

On Thursday, protesters wielding signs with the message “refugees welcome here” gathered outside the Home Office, declaring their intention to “fight back” against the move.

Charities condemned the plans as “cruel and nasty”, claiming they would fail to address the issue and cause more “suffering and chaos”, while criticising Rwanda’s human rights track record.

But Mr Johnson insisted the scheme was not “draconian and lacking in compassion”.

Giving a major speech in Kent, he said the agreement was “uncapped” and Rwanda would have the “capacity to resettle tens of thousands of people in the years ahead”.

He said the partnership would be “fully compliant with our international legal obligations”, while insisting Rwanda was “one of the safest countries in the world”.

Johnson insisted the scheme was not ‘draconian and lacking in compassion’ (Matt Dunham/PA) / PA Wire

“But nevertheless, we expect this will be challenged in the courts,” Mr Johnson added, as he hit out at what he called a “formidable army of politically motivated lawyers”.

During a visit to the Rwandan capital of Kigali, Ms Patel said the Home Office was prepared for legal challenges, as she accused lawyers of “fleecing the British taxpayer”.

Stephanie Boyce, the president of the Law Society of England and Wales, warned there were “serious questions” about whether the plans complied with international law.

“It is particularly disappointing – this week of all weeks – the Government is repeating misleading suggestions that legal challenges are politically motivated,” she said.

“If the Government wishes to avoid losing court cases, it should act within the law of the land.”

Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who attended the protest outside the Home Office, said the “incredible” turnout showed the Government had “badly misjudged the mood of the country” on the issue.

She said: “I think people’s response to Afghan refugees, to Ukrainian refugees… people of this country have been so, so much more generous than this Government.

“I think most people that you know agree, it’s not a Sudanese engineer who put up our energy prices by 54 per cent. It’s not a Syrian labourer who got rid of all our council homes and then didn’t build any more.

“It’s the fault of this Government that people are struggling. People don’t have the lives that we deserve.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called the plans “unworkable”, “extortionate” and an attempt to distract from Mr Johnson being fined for breaching his own pandemic laws.

The deal with Rwanda is understood to effectively be a fresh removals arrangement, where those deemed by the Government as inadmissible under UK asylum rules will be relocated.

It is thought the East African nation’s government will process the claims and those who are successful will be provided Rwandan refugee status.

This would be different from plans to offshore processing of UK asylum claims, which would involve sending migrants to another country or location while their applications are determined and then returned once approved.

Home Secretary Priti Patel signed the historic £120 million deal with Rwandan officials during a visit to the capital Kigali;

Mr Johnson insisted Rwanda was one of the safest countries in the world;

It emerged the first migrants to be sent from Britain will be put up in a former tourist hostel with scenic views over the city;

The scheme – including Home Office charter flights to Rwanda – is likely to cost between £20,000 and £30,000 a head;

The naval operation in the Channel was given a mission to make sure 'no boat makes it to the UK undetected';

The PM said it was his aim to bring the numbers arriving in the country illegally 'down to zero', but admitted that was unlikely 'any time soon';

www.samigration.com

 

 

Aaron Motsoaledi Reveals How Bangladeshi Enter SA, Illegally. They Pay R110k To Come To SA

Opera News – 19 April 2022

The South African immigration crisis has been worsening. Each and everyday there are illegal immigrants news of how they tried to enter the country of the illegal activities that they have recently been involved in. 

This afternoon news broke that an immigration officer at the OR Tambo airport was arrested after letting a Bangladeshi citizen illegal into the country.  View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

The Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi has spoken on the incident and revealed how these Bangladeshi pass through the airport into the country illegally. These were revealed from one the eNCA reporters on twitter. 

According to Aaron Motsoaledi " In Bangladesh, the syndicate includes a runner who recruits Bangladeshi who do not qualify to visit South Africa and members of the airline. All of these operations are coordinated by a kingpin. 

Motsoaledi says the kingpin get the runner to recruit Bangladeshis who want to come to SA but do not qualify. He charges them around R110 000". The story is developing and Motsoaledi says that more arrests are expected to be made. 

Clearly this is not a crime that happens only on the borders and airports of South Africa but also starts from their own countries. At the same time, immigration officers are to be blamed for this. This now explains why there are so many undocumented foreign nationals from overseas and not only Africa. 

Perhaps the problem is not illegal immigrants but the criminal syndicate and corrupt border officials. Each and everyday there are news of how illegal immigrants enter the country but this is getting too much. 

Considering what has just happened, it is not even clear if Operation Dudula will ever win the fight because the problem started at the borders. 

www.samigration.com

 

 

 

 

Waivers / Exemptions for Asylum Seekers – do waivers using appointment letters issued from Port Elizabeth , Marabastad

etc and these are for categories of persons who were prevented from getting Section 22 permits because of Covid 19 lockdown
Asylum Seekers that have appointment letters that don’t have the section 22 permit but have an appointment letter
ASYLUM SEEKERS PERMIT EXPIRED during LOCKDOWN – Don’t know what to do ?
Apply Now for Temporary Residence even with EXPIRED LOCKDOWN PERMITS
The Constitutional Court handed down a judgement in the Ahmed matter as well as a Court Order opening the door for Asylum Seekers and Refugees to apply to change their status to temporary residence visa . Contact us now before this fantastic opportunity is lost .
Contact us now and ask me HOW CHANGE TO TEMPORARY RESIDENCE . Travel abroad from South Africa , get a Canada , Schengen Visa afterwards .
Under the new rules they don’t have to cancel their asylum or refugee status and can change to any visa class if they qualify from within
South Africa
please contact us on :
Sa Migration International
Whatsapp Tel No : +27 (0) 82 373 8415
Tel No office : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 ( Whatsapp )
Tel No admin : +27 (0) 64 126 3073
Tel No sales : +27 (0) 74 0366127
Fax No : 086 579 0155
www.samigration.com

The rules on Additional Working for Skilled Workers – UK

The South African – 19-04-2022

Migrants in the UK with Skilled Worker visas often consider undertaking additional employment or doing charity work.

The rules on Additional Working and Studying for Skilled Worker. Image: AdobeStock

However, many Skilled Worker migrants are unsure about the immigration terms and conditions for additional work or study. 

Sami has compiled some guidelines to avoid the pitfalls. 

Skilled Workers and Supplementary Work 

Generally, workers with permission to work in the Skilled Worker visa category can only work for their employer (sponsor). They may also only do the work as specified in the Certificate of Sponsorship. 

Skilled Workers can take up supplementary employment. However, they still have to continue to work in the employment for which the Home Office assigned their Certificate of Sponsorship. 

The supplementary work has to meet the following criteria; 

• It must be in the same profession and at the same professional level as the work described in the Certificate of Sponsorship; OR 
• The supplementary work must be for a job on the Shortage Occupation List. 
• The work may not be for more than 20 hours per week; and 
• It must take place outside the normal working hours of the sponsored job, for which you have received a Certificate of Sponsorship. 

The employer who provides the supplementary work does not need to be a licensed sponsor. The employee also does not need to inform the Home Office about the supplementary work. However, the employee has to make sure that the work fulfils the criteria of supplementary work. Otherwise, it will be a breach of your conditions of stay of your UK skilled worker visa. The Home Office does advise that the employee informs the employer that the work is supplementary so that the employer can make the necessary checks recommended for employers. 

Secondary Employment 

Skilled worker migrants can also take up a second job for which they do require a Certificate of Sponsorship. This is called secondary employment. 

Please speak to your Sami consultant for more information on the process of obtaining a second Certificate of Sponsorship for secondary employment. 

Voluntary Work 

Skilled Worker migrants will be allowed to undertake voluntary work. 

The worker may not receive any remuneration or payment for the voluntary work. However, the employer may reimburse the employee for reasonable expenses. 

www.samigration.com