SAUDI VISA FOR AFRICAN CITIZENS
South Africa is not among the countries exempt from Saudi Arabia visa requirements, therefore a Saudi Arabia visa is required. South Africans need a current visa to travel to Saudi Arabia lawfully. South African citizens can obtain a Saudi electronic visa. Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East. The eVisa is an electronic visa that permits citizens from approximately 50 countries to travel to Saudi Arabia for tourism. The tourist eVisa was introduced by the Saudi government in 2019 in order to streamline the visa application process and greet international tourists. The Saudi Arabia online visa permits entry multiple times. This means that you can take it with you on numerous visits to the country. It allows for a 90-day stay with each entry into the nation, for a total of 180 days throughout its validity. The online Saudi visa is valid for one year from the date of issue. It is the quickest and simplest approach to obtain permission to enter Saudi Arabia. Simply complete a brief Saudi visa application online and you will receive your Saudi Arabia eVisa through email.
SAUDI ARABIA VISA REQUIREMENTS
•    A passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of entry in Saudi Arabia.
•    Providing a current email address at which to receive the Saudi Arabia visa online.
•    Paying the Saudi eVisa fee with a valid debit or credit card.

SAUDI VISA FOR KYRGYZ CITIZENS
Since Kyrgyzstan is not among the countries exempt from Saudi Arabia’s visa restrictions, a Saudi Arabia visa is necessary. Kyrgyzstan citizens are required to possess a valid visa in order to travel to Saudi Arabia within the confines of the law. Kyrgyzstan is qualified for a Saudi e-visa. Therefore, citizens of Kyrgyzstan are eligible to request a Saudi e-visa. Saudi Arabia is a nation located in the Middle East. The eVisa is an electronic visa that permits citizens from approximately 50 countries to travel to Saudi Arabia for tourism. In 2019, the Saudi government introduced the tourist eVisa to simplify the visa application procedure and welcome international travelers to the country. Multiple entries are permitted with the Saudi Arabia online visa. This implies you can use it on multiple trips to the country. It allows for a 90-day stay with each entry into the nation, for a total of 180 days throughout its validity. The online Saudi visa is valid for one year from the date of issue. It is the quickest and simplest approach to obtain permission to enter Saudi Arabia. Simply complete a brief Saudi visa application online and you will receive your Saudi Arabia eVisa through email.
SAUDI ARABIA VISA REQUIREMENTS
•    A passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of entry in Saudi Arabia.
•    Providing a current email address at which to receive the Saudi Arabia visa online.
•    Paying the Saudi eVisa fee with a valid debit or credit card.
SAUDI VISA FOR MALDIVIAN CITIZENS
The Maldives does not fall under the list of countries exempt from Saudi Arabia visa requirements; therefore a Saudi Arabia visa is necessary. Individuals from Maldives must possess a current visa in order to travel to Saudi Arabia. The Maldives meets the requirements for a Saudi electronic visa. Consequently, Maldivians can now submit applications for a Saudi e-visa. Saudi Arabia is a nation located in the Middle East. The eVisa permits citizens from approximately 50 countries to travel to Saudi Arabia for tourism through an online application process. Saudi Arabia implemented the tourist eVisa in 2019 to simplify the visa application procedure and attract foreign visitors to the country. The Saudi Arabia online visa allows for multiple entries. This suggests that you can take it with you on multiple travels to the country. It allows for a 90-day stay with each entry into the nation, for a total of 180 days throughout its validity. The online Saudi visa is valid for one year from the date of issue. It is the quickest and simplest approach to obtain permission to enter Saudi Arabia. Simply complete a brief Saudi visa application online and you will receive your Saudi Arabia eVisa through email.
SAUDI ARABIA VISA REQUIREMENTS
•    A passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of entry in Saudi Arabia.
•    Providing a current email address at which to receive the Saudi Arabia visa online.
•    Paying the Saudi eVisa fee with a valid debit or credit card.
SAUDI VISA FOR TAJIK CITIZENS
Tajikistan citizens need a current visa to lawfully travel to Saudi Arabia. Tajikistan qualifies for a Saudi e-visa. Tajikistan residents are now eligible to request a electronic visa for Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a nation located in the Middle East. The eVisa is a digital visa that permits citizens of approximately 50 nations to travel to Saudi Arabia for tourism. In 2019, the Saudi government introduced the tourist eVisa to simplify the visa application procedure and welcome international visitors to the country. The tourist eVisa permits engaging in tourism activities such as leisure, vacation, family visits, and Umrah (excluding Hajj), but not for educational purposes. The Saudi Arabia online visa allows for multiple entries. This implies you can use it on multiple trips to the country. It allows for a 90-day stay with each entry into the nation, for a total of 180 days throughout its validity. The online Saudi visa is valid for one year from the date of issue. It is the quickest and simplest approach to obtain permission to enter Saudi Arabia. Simply complete a brief Saudi visa application online and you will receive your Saudi Arabia eVisa through email.
SAUDI ARABIA VISA REQUIREMENTS
•    A passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of entry in Saudi Arabia.
•    Providing a current email address at which to receive the Saudi Arabia visa online.
•    Paying the Saudi eVisa fee with a valid debit or credit card.
SAUDI VISA FOR UZBEK CITIZENS
Since Uzbekistan is not included in the list of countries that are exempt from Saudi Arabia visa restrictions, it is required to obtain a Saudi Arabia visa. Uzbek passport holders need a valid visa to travel to Saudi Arabia. Uzbekistan has the opportunity to acquire an electronic visa from Saudi Arabia. Consequently, citizens of Uzbekistan can now seek a Saudi electronic visa. Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East. The eVisa is an electronic visa that permits residents from approximately 50 countries to travel to Saudi Arabia for tourism. The Saudi government introduced the tourist eVisa in 2019 with the aim of streamlining the visa application process and greeting international tourists. The online visa for Saudi Arabia enables multiple entries. This means you can utilize it on numerous visits to the nation. It allows for a 90-day stay with each entry into the nation, for a total of 180 days throughout its validity. The online Saudi visa is valid for one year from the date of issue. It is the quickest and simplest approach to obtain permission to enter Saudi Arabia. Simply complete a brief Saudi visa application online and you will receive your Saudi Arabia eVisa through email.
SAUDI ARABIA VISA REQUIREMENTS
•    A passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of entry in Saudi Arabia.
•    Providing a current email address at which to receive the Saudi Arabia visa online.
•    Paying the Saudi eVisa fee with a valid debit or credit card.

I recently renewed my passport at Home Affairs in a bank branch and was very impressed with the service and quick turnaround time.
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and major banks first launched the option to do Smart ID card and passport applications via select bank branches in 2016.
It has slowly grown to around 30 locations, including branches from Absa, Discovery Bank, FNB, Investec, Nedbank, and Standard Bank.
My passport was set to expire in October 2024, and because many countries require that your passport be valid for six months from a travel date, a renewal was due.
I am an FNB customer, and numerous people have had previous positive experiences when using the eHomeAffairs route.
Rather than trying my luck at a traditional Home Affairs office, I filed my renewal application online and booked my biometrics capture visit at a nearby bank branch.
On Monday, 22 April 2024, I signed up for an eHomeAffairs profile for the first time and completed my passport renewal application. This took about 20 minutes.
It included creating an account using my ID number and email address, as well as setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) with my cellphone number.
Both the email address and cellphone number had to be verified before I could access the eHomeAffairs portal.
The eHomeAffairs login page requires that users enter their login details and complete a Captcha every time. An OTP sent via SMS must also be entered on each occasion.
For the passport renewal application, I needed to provide details such as my ID number, home address, my spouse’s information, and my preferred location for collection.
Credentials like my name, surname and ID number were prepopulated in the DHA-73 form.
After submitting, I was asked to select my preferred branch to capture my fingerprints, signature and a new photo.
My bank offered two branch options in the greater Tshwane area - one in Pretoria East and the other in Centurion.
The Centurion branch did not have an open slot available for two weeks.
Fortunately, the other branch had a slot at 10:00 the next day -Tuesday, 23 April 2024.
After selecting this slot, the payment of R600 was due. This was the only unintuitive part of the process.
Home Affairs does not perform regular card payments; instead, it issues an instruction to your bank that you must approve.
This did not generate a notification in the FNB app, and finding where to approve this request was challenging.
After a quick Google Search, I determined the payment request should be in a section of FNB Internet banking called “Smart ID + Passport”.
After approving the request, I could continue on the eHomeAffairs website and complete my booking.
I received an email and SMS confirmation with the time and date of my appointment within minutes.
A subsequent “1st Notice” email said I must bring my original ID book/card and a barcoded eHomeAffairs “Application Confirmation” to my appointment, which was supposed to be available on the website.
However, I could not find this document anywhere. Instead, I took a screenshot of the booking reference number on the confirmation page and hoped this would suffice.
Fortunately, the DHA had a list with all the names and ID numbers of people with appointments on the day, and I did not have to present any documents other than my ID.
A notice outside the FNB branch where I applied for my passport renewal.
Capturing my biometrics, including fingerprints and a photo of my face, took less than 10 minutes from my arrival at the branch.
I arrived at 09:54, six minutes before my booking, and a helpful bank employee pointed me to a dedicated queue for smart ID and passport applications outside the branch.
I was first in the outside queue, but several people with Smart ID and passport renewals were already being helped inside the branch.
The queue behind me quickly grew by a further five or so people, but by 09:58, we were taken into the branch and instructed to sit and wait for our turn.
Because I was first in this batch of applicants, I was first to be helped at one of the counters.
The DHA employee was friendly and professional and completed the process in less than five minutes.
This included scanning my thumb for a fingerprint, photographing my face, and signing twice on a digital signature pad. There was no paperwork whatsoever.
The DHA employee who assisted me said I would be notified when my passport was ready for collection and reminded me to bring my ID along.
The fingerprint reader used to scan my thumbprint for the passport renewal at the Home Affairs branch in FNB Lynnwood. The photo booth for passport and Smart ID card photos at the Home Affairs branch in FNB Lynnwood.
I received an SMS and email that my passport was ready for collection late afternoon on Tuesday, 30 April 2024.
This was after the DHA branch had closed at 15:30, and with 1 May being a public holiday, the earliest I could pick up the passport was 2 May 2024. No appointment was necessary for collection.
Given my experience with the biometrics, I assumed the collection process would be a breeze.
However, I was greeted with a queue of 10 people waiting outside the bank when I pitched up at 09:29, not a good start. Around 10 minutes later, another five had joined the line behind me.
We were let into the branch at 09:53, about 25 minutes after I arrived, but much longer for some of those in front of me.
A Home Affairs employee collected the ID books of those who had come for collection and said we would be called by name when our turn came.
I was called to a counter at around 10:25, verified my identity with a fingerprint scan and signature, and received my new passport in less than a minute.
With the DHA branch opening at 08:30, that means they completed around 11 collections per hour on that day.
Much better than a non-bank DHA office
Overall, the experience was a bit of a mixed bag.
However, my passport was ready in less than six business days, and the time spent at the branch was about an hour and 10 minutes.
This is a welcome improvement over the nightmarish expeditions that have historically awaited those who need to go to regular DHA offices.
Some other noteworthy things from the experience:
•    It was a great help and assurance that I constantly received notifications via email and SMS providing updates on the status of my application.
•    Every login on the eHomeAffairs website required me to enter an OTP received via SMS. While not the best form of 2FA, it is at least an additional layer many other government services do not have.
•    Many people have previously reported issues accessing the eHomeAffairs website at certain times, with OTPs being particularly problematic. I was unable to get an OTP to check on the status of my application on two occasions.
•    I was privileged to have two branches to choose from within a 15km radius of my office and home. Many people would have to go to another province to find a DHA branch in their bank.
•    A second MyBroadband employee also reported a positive experience with the biometrics and photo-capturing appointment.

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has spent over R412.95 million in legal fees since the start of the 2018/19 financial year - with over R117.69 million of this spent between 1 April 2023 and 29 February 2024.
This was revealed by the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, in a recent written response in parliament.
DHA has seen an exponential increase in the amount that it spends on litigation, with the current amount for 2023/24 (note these figures are until the end of February, several months short of the full financial year) nearly 16 times that of the amount spent in 2018/19.
Since 2018/19, DHA has spent:
•    R148.57 million on private legal firms;
•    R264.38 million on state legal services.
Looking at the breakdown of where the money is being spent, the department used to have a relatively equal distribution of the amount spent on state and private legal services back in 2018/19 - spending around R3.6 million on each.
DHA then exponentially increased the amount spent on state legal services in 2019/20 by around 18 times more than the previous year, with these eight-figure bills remaining ever since.
Spending on state legal services has been hefty yet sporadic, whereas expenditures on private legal services have consistently risen, experiencing proliferated costs from 2021/2022 onwards.
2023/24 has seen the department spend, for the first time in this period, considerably more on private legal services than on state -over 21 times more than it did in 2018/2019.
 iIncrease in litigation for the department
Home Affairs has seen a steady rise in not only the amount of litigation that the department initiates, but in the amount of times it (or the minister himself) has been dragged to court.
Among the numerous recent costly court battles for the DHA include the widely publicised Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP) case and disputes over blocked IDs.
ZEP
Back in 2021, the Cabinet made a decision not to renew Zimbabwean permits that are set to expire in December of the same year. After much resistance, the DHA then gave an extension vof one year for Zimbabwean nationals to apply for alternative visas.
The Zimbabwe Immigration Federation subsequently filed a lawsuit against the department regarding the termination of these permits. They requested that the termination be declared unconstitutional and invalid.
In June of 2023, the court ultimately ruled against Motsoaledi, and granted an interdict.
The Minister has since approached the Constitutional Court, seeking a leave of appeal after it was rejected by the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Blocked IDs
Back in 2023, the DHA sought to block nearly 1 million IDs over suspected fraud.
Various legal groups challenged this, arguing that no law allowed the department to block an ID number, bringing into question the legality of this action.
The Gauteng High Court aligned with this argument, saying that blocking IDs is an unjust and irregular administrative action that is inconsistent with the South African Constitution - ordering that the department pay the costs of the application.

Short on time? Here are the highlights: • Following recent announcements from British Columbia and Ontario, Nova Scotia becomes the latest Canadian province to declare how its quota of study permit applications for 2024 will be distributed across sectors and institutions • As in Ontario, private institutions and language schools stand to be the most negatively affected by the distribution arrangement, but some public universities will also see significant reductions in study permit applications • All Canadian provinces have now distributed their allocation of study permit applications for 2024, and all are now also issuing provincial attestation letters (PALs) • This means in effect that study permit processing has now resumed for cap-affected students in all provinces • The elimination of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rights for students enrolling in programmes delivered through Ontario Public-College Private Partnerships will now happen on 15 May 2024 - a few months earlier than initially announced Since the Canadian government’s announcement in January that it would be capping the number of new study permits issued to international students in 2024 and 2025 (with the exception of permits for graduate and K-12 programmes), more news associated with the broad cap has trickled in every week or two. We are committed to keeping readers informed of the developing immigration story in Canada given the large proportion of our readership affected in one way or another by changes in Canadian policies around international education. Nova Scotia joins the list of provinces announcing their study permit application approach The Canadian government’s cap on new international study permits for 2024 is playing out variously across the country. This is because each Canadian province has been allocated a different share of the total national volume of study permit applications and because each provincial government then decides how to distribute its allocation across its educational sectors and institutions. Last week we reported on the very different ways in which the provincial governments of British Columbia (BC) and Ontario distributed their allocated study permit applications. The BC government distributed its allocation relatively evenly while in Ontario, public universities and colleges received 96% of the total, leaving language schools and private universities with a mere 4% and private colleges with 0% of the quota. Nova Scotia was the next province to announce its handling of its study permit application quota, and as in Ontario, universities were heavily favoured in the distribution. Nova Scotia received an allocation of 12,900 applications for 2024, which is about 7,000 fewer than the total number of applications submitted in 2023. Of that total, 11,565 (90%) will go to the province’s 10 universities and Nova Scotia Community College. Of the remainder, 710 are reserved “for a dozen private career colleges” and 526 are slotted for nine language schools. Another 99 application spaces are left over “to respond to unexpected circumstances and new programs.” While universities fared the best overall in Nova Scotia’s disbursement of applications, some universities are facing a more difficult year than others as the province also allocated applications on an institution-by-institution level. CBC News reports that “Cape Breton University (CBU) is facing the biggest hit, a 52 per cent decrease to 5,086 applications … Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) will have access to 44 per cent fewer, for a total of 860, and Université Ste-Anne faces a 34 per cent cut to 962.” David Dingwall, CBU’s president, told CBC News that CBU “is facing a major financial problem unless it is able to convince immigration officials to grant more prospective students the permits they apply for” given that the university’s conversion rate is only 30%: `If the conversion rate doesn`t go up, it`ll be a big hit. If the conversion rate goes up in our favour, we should be OK. But you can`t take that as a given.` Further grim news for CBU came in the form of its affiliated language centre, Cape Breton Language Centre, receiving only 84 applications. CBU had asked for 500. Speaking broadly about the distribution of applications across Nova Scotian institutions, the province’s Advanced Education Minister, Brian Wong, said: “We’ve worked hard trying to make sure that 12,900 number is allocated fairly amongst the institutions. We also wanted to make sure that schools that were ready for some growth got the opportunity to be able to grow.” That thinking appears to have driven the decision to substantially increase some universities’ application quota. For example, Halifax’s Dalhousie University has been accorded 1,180 applications (+70% compared with 2023/24). St. Francis Xavier University also received a 19% top-up and Acadia University got a 14% boost. Mr Wong said that he “hopes” all schools will continue to be successful despite the fact that many may see sharp decreases in their revenues if international student numbers (and tuition) decline. He said it will be crucial for schools to recruit good candidates to increase their conversion rates. Saltwire.com reports that for the 2023/24 academic year, Nova Scotian institutions submitted 19,000 study permit applications, only 40% of which were approved. The national approval average was 60% for that year. As of this writing, the Nova Scotia government is not planning to provide financial assistance to institutions that may face operational crises if their international student enrolments plummet. But opposition party leader Zach Churchill said that might have to change: “The universities only get their money from government or students so the money is going to have to come from somewhere, and losing international students will certainly have a very serious financial impact on these institutions.” Recapping provincial allocations and PAL status While details and methods vary, all Canadian provinces have now distributed their allocation of study permit applications for 2024, and all are now also issuing provincial attestation letters (PALs). This means that study permit processing has now resumed for cap-affected students in all provinces. IRCC has stated previously that it would allocate roughly 606,000 study permit applications across all provinces and territories, with the goal of granting about 360,000 new study permits to commencing students in 2024 (not including those enrolled in K-12 or master’s/doctoral programmes). Based on provincial disclosures to date, we understand the following allocations are in place for new study permit applications in 2024. • British Columbia: 83,000 • Alberta: 41,000 • Ontario: 235,000 • Nova Scotia: 12,900 • New Brunswick: 9,400* • Prince Edward Island: 3,300* * Estimated based on media reports The total study permit applications allocated to the six provinces listed above total just under 385,000, meaning that there are a potential 221,000 study permit allocations remaining under the planned cap of 606,000 for provinces that have not reported as yet: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador. IRCC has yet to confirm the allocations otherwise or if the original national cap of 606,000 study permit applications remains in place for 2024. Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility will end sooner for students in college partnership programmes One of the major changes announced by the federal government in January 2024 was that international students enrolling in programmes delivered through a public-college private partnership (PCPP) would no longer be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). The effective date announced for that change had been September 1, 2024, but it has now been moved up. Canada’s immigration department (IRCC) advises: “International students who begin this type of program on May 15, 2024, or later will not be eligible for a post-graduation work permit when they graduate.” By advancing the date, IRCC has cut off the ability of PCPP-modelled institutions to squeeze in one more recruiting cycle before the elimination of the PGWP eligibility for their students. However, IRCC notes as well that some graduates of institutions operating under a PCPP model can apply for a different kind of work permit: “For occupations that face a labour shortage in Canada, a graduate could apply for a work permit supported by an employer’s approved labour market impact assessment, for example.” IRCC states that the department “will continue to work with provinces and territories to proactively identify programme that have been affected by the clarification and will update this list as we receive additional information from them.”

We asked the major contestants of the 29 May elections about immigration. Illustration: Lisa Nelson Today’s questions and answers to the major political parties deal with immigration. We emailed our questions to the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA, PA, MK Party, and RISE Mzansi on 13 March and sent follow-up queries to those who did not respond. Some have still not responded. Answers are very lightly edited for grammar and typos. Does your party support continued extensions of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP)? ANC: The ANC did not answer our questions. DA: The DA in government would introduce the following special dispensation with regard to our closest neighbours: • Allow ZEP holders, approximately 180,000 Zimbabwean nationals, to apply for any alternative visa for which they qualify, including permanent residency for ZEP holders of more than five years. • Allow visa-free entry allowing travel, study, and trade or establishment of a business to all citizens of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Namibia with a path to permanent residency for postgraduates, those qualifying under the points system, and for those whose business has survived after five years. • Initially, this will not include the right to seek work, and separate work provisions will still govern the ability to work. • After three years of the roll-out of this special dispensation programme, review the evidence and consider setting out a clear plan with timelines for integrating Zimbabwe and the rest of SADC into the special dispensation. • The special dispensation programme should form part of South Africa’s custom roadmap to the progressive realisation of the African Union protocol by building implementation experience in the region. EFF: The EFF did not answer our questions. IFP: The IFP has supported the Minister throughout this process, focusing on concluding the current permit exemption system and urging Zimbabweans to regularise their stay in South Africa by applying for appropriate visas. Regarding the future of Zimbabweans in South Africa post-permit expiry, the expectation is clear: they should ideally return to their homeland, unless they successfully apply for and obtain alternative visa categories that allow them to stay. This directive applies broadly, including to children of Zimbabwean parents born and raised in South Africa, who are also expected to return should their parents do so, barring qualification for other visas. FF Plus: The FF Plus answered no. Asked what should happen to Zimbabweans in South Africa once their permits expire, the FF Plus responded: The holders of these permits should be allowed to apply for alternative visas and in the case of permit holders who have been in South Africa for more than five years they should be able to apply for permanent residency. Asked what about the children of Zimbabwean parents born in South Africa who have grown up here, the FF Plus responded: They should be allowed to apply for permanent residency. ActionSA: ActionSA has expressed concern about the extension of the permit and referred to their statement released in 2022, which provides broader insight on the matter. Essentially, ActionSA is opposed to the ZEP, stating the extension of the ZEP was “a mockery of our constitutional democracy”. PA: This government unforgivably put itself and all of us in a very difficult situation with these permits years ago. They now realise they had no business doing it, but it’s very difficult to turn back the clock. They’re trying to convince voters that they’ve suddenly become tough on illegal immigration, but we don’t think people are buying it. We do not support the continued extensions of the permit. Whoever has been given these permits must be processed properly by the system and if that means they need to go home, then so be it. Asked what should happen to Zimbabweans in South Africa once their permits expire, the PA responded: They need to be processed to determine if they should stay here or go home. We believe that the majority will not meet the criteria to stay. Asked what about the children of Zimbabwean parents born in South Africa who have grown up here, the PA responded: What about them? We would not want to separate families. They should go home too. MK Party: The MK Party did not respond to our questions. RISE Mzansi: RISE Mzansi believes that South Africa’s immigration system is broken and needs comprehensive reform. The challenge of the ZEP is one big symptom of the wider problem. We appreciate that holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit have built lives in South Africa, including raising children in the country. It would be inhumane to expel them. It is also untenable to leave them in legal limbo. ZEP holders without criminal records should be enabled to apply for permanent residence to regularise the fact that they are now long term residents in South Africa. This regularisation must be coupled with wider immigration reforms to manage regional migration. These include: better management of our borders and ports of entry; engaging with neighbouring countries on migration to prevent irregular migration into South Africa; fixing the asylum seeker management system to resolve the multi-year backlog in asylum decisions and stop its use as a channel for economic migrants; and increasing immigration enforcement of industries so that migrants without legitimate visas authorising work find it difficult or impossible to work in South Africa, reducing pull factors. Many foreign nationals have been living in South Africa for years without the required documentation. Does your party support regularising their stay? If so, under what conditions? ANC: The ANC did not answer our questions. DA: In order to address future undocumented migration and the current undocumented population in South Africa, the DA will: • Explore the economic cost vs benefit of an e-verification system that would enable employers to check the work eligibility status of potential employees against a Home Affairs database. If feasible, this would mandate employers to verify that a prospective employee possesses a valid permit to work in South Africa. A self-check mechanism must also be provided to allow persons to check their status and resolve any discrepancies. • Investigate and drastically improve conditions and treatment at holding facilities for those arrested or awaiting deportation, and prevent unlawful arrests, human rights violations, and poor treatment of irregular migrants. • Provide an amnesty period for all undocumented migrants, giving them an opportunity to either return home and attempt to re-enter legally without prejudice or to apply for the relevant visa from within South Africa (provided they have the required documentation). If the application from within South Africa is unsuccessful, then the same rules as a failed visa renewal apply. EFF: The EFF did not answer our questions. IFP: South Africa is home to many undocumented migrants. The IFP has dedicated a section in its manifesto to illegal foreigners. We propose a six-month exemption period in which we are in favour of regularising their stay under specific conditions and subject to our laws. For individuals who meet these criteria, we believe in creating a pathway to legalising their stay, ensuring they can continue to contribute positively to our society without the fear of deportation. For those who do not meet these conditions, we propose an amnesty period of six months to humanely and orderly address an undocumented migrant’s status and process repatriation to their country of origin. This includes assistance in applying for the necessary documentation or, in cases where staying in South Africa is not an option, support for voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin. Our approach is guided by a commitment to uphold human dignity while ensuring the security and prosperity of South Africans. FF Plus: Regularising is important and illegal immigration should be eradicated through efficient border control. ActionSA: ActionSA did not answer this question. PA: If they entered the country in a criminal fashion, they will need to leave. If they don’t leave, we will mass deport them. If we arrest them again, they will be criminally charged and jailed. Your question suggests that just because someone has been doing something wrong for a long time, they should be treated differently. Imagine if we treated other crimes the same way. You’d end up not prosecuting people who’ve been defrauding their employer for many years. Or maybe if someone has been robbing cash-in-transit vans for 20 years, should we say: “Let’s go easy on him, he’s been doing this for a long time?” MK Party: The MK Party did not respond to our questions. RISE Mzansi: We would apply the same principles outlined above in relation to the ZEP. Children born to undocumented immigrant parents in South Africa are effectively stateless. Should they automatically be given South African citizenship? ANC: The ANC did not answer our questions. DA: The DA is committed to preventing the occurrence of child statelessness and mitigating its consequences through appropriate interventions, such as: • Strengthening the institutional capacity for the management and protection of stateless persons. • Promoting partnerships between government and development partners, civil society, and NGOs to strengthen the response to statelessness. • Removing the requirement for a South African citizen to witness the birth to receive a notice of birth. • Allowing children to apply for naturalisation at the age of 18 where they have no proof of birth registration. • Proactively working with the Department of Basic Education to address the large numbers of learners without birth registration through increased deployment of mobile units and opening of Home Affairs offices on Saturdays to accommodate school learners. EFF: The EFF did not answer our questions IFP: When discussing whether a child born to undocumented migrants is stateless, it’s important to clarify a common misunderstanding. A child born under these circumstances is not stateless. Every child comes from a country, and is therefore affiliated with a country through their parents’ nationality. For instance, if a child’s parents are undocumented migrants from Mozambique, the RSA government will still issue a notice of birth for the child. This certificate is a crucial document that acknowledges the child’s birth. This process ensures that the child is recognised by their parents’ home country. The misconception that these children are stateless arises from a lack of awareness about this procedure. However, the truth is they are not stateless; they have a country of origin determined by their parents’ nationality. FF Plus: They should be allowed to apply for permanent residency. ActionSA: ActionSA did not answer this question. PA: Your assumptions are untrue. The USA is one of the few countries that practises this idea of rights of the soil, meaning you have some claim to statehood just because you were born there. South Africa, like most other countries in the world, recognises statehood by family lineage. Therefore, in South Africa, you are not “effectively stateless”. Home Affairs gives you a certificate of recognition of birth, which your parents are meant to take back to their country, with you, to have your birth registered in their country, so that you can get citizenship where you belong. We have no intention of changing this approach. MK Party: The MK Party did not answer our questions. RISE Mzansi: No they should not automatically be given SA citizenship. This would undermine our citizenship laws which do not grant citizenship based on place of birth, but rather on the condition that one of a child’s parents is South African, wherever they are born. We believe there are relatively few cases of immigrants in South Africa with no documents whatsoever. Most immigrants in South Africa have passports from their home countries. Unless a migrant is granted asylum, Home Affairs should work with their embassy or consulate to verify their citizenship, find relatives and register their children’s birth. Only in exceptional cases where an undocumented immigrant minor cannot be reunited with parents or guardians and assume their citizenship, should South African citizenship be granted to prevent statelessness.