According to Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, police do not need to arrest foreign nationals or use discriminatory methods to determine their status in the country.
Motsoaledi made the remarks earlier this week while speaking to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs about the backlog in permit appeals for asylum seekers and refugees.
We believe that all law enforcement officers should be aware that this is something they can do immediately. It’s unfortunate if anyone is arrested and home affairs officials have to manually verify the documents. That should not happen,” he said.
According to Motsoaledi, the backlog of appeal applications by foreign nationals who were denied refugee or asylum permits put the system under strain.
He stated that the backlog would be cleared in four years.
Motsoaledi said the government needed to get rid of the “bureaucratic ladder of never-ending appeals,” which he claimed was being used by ringleaders who did not qualify for international protection at times.
“The entire immigration system needs to be overhauled… our bureaucratic ladder doesn’t help anyone, it just complicates our lives, and that is why we are changing it,” the minister said. Here is more to know.
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