‘There is no other way’: Motsoaledi implores Ramaphosa to provide funds for staff to clear visa backlog

Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa for more money to employ staff as the department battles to clear visa backlogs.

According to the department, about 75,000 foreigners applied for South African temporary residence visas. There were 42,835 applications for permanent residence. 

Briefing a parliamentary committee this week, Mostoaledi blamed a lack of capacity for the delays in finalisation of visas. The department had to redirect staff working in different fields to help the migration services as pressure mounts from those waiting to get into South Africa.

Motsoaledi said the department was operating with a staff complement of only 39%. National Treasury recently gave the department funds to hire 700 people, which could push the staff complement to 42%. This, however, meant little to visa permit staff. 

“We have made a plea to the president that at least if the staff levels at home affairs can be 60% we would be happy. Over the years, almost every minister of home affairs, whenever they got resources, these were used for civic services. The issue of migration will suffer. We have no other way of resolving the issue unless we get enough money,” he said.

A boost in staff capacity would help fast-track finalising the backlog in permits and visas.

The backlog was worsened by applicants who clog the system by applying for several visas at the same time after being rejected.

“You deal with one person from one country 10 times or more. There is no way there won’t be a build-up of backlogs. We have 17 types of visas and not many countries have that. 

“We are attacked for having a backlog on visas; people say the economy will not move because of the backlog. But out of the 75,000 backlog, 35,000 are spousal visas. These are spouses who want to come to South Africa but want jobs. In a country that battles unemployment, how do you expect home affairs to respond?

“If the spouse applies for general work, the law states they must go to the department of employment and labour to check whether there is a South African who can do that work. That is another procedure and takes time. Home affairs gets stuck waiting for the department of employment and labour’s certificate.” 

Motsoaledi said some people were putting the department under pressure to prioritise certain cases — which would not happen despite threats of legal action.

“There is an immigration lawyer who sent 100 names of people he said must be dealt with quickly and threatened legal action. The demand to come to South Africa is high” 

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