SA grants legal status to Zim asylum seekers
April 6, 2009 by Webmaster
ZIMBABWEANS who have entered South Africa seeking political asylum and employment will be given a “special dispensation” permit, the Department of Home Affairs of that country said last Wednesday.
“The permit confers on them the right to stay in South Africa for a period of six months, it confers on them the right to schooling or education, it confers on them the right to work and access to basic health care,” said Home Affairs director general of Immigration Services, Jackie MacKay.
“We have taken an important decision which acknowledges that migration patterns between South Africa and Zimbabwean have probably changed permanently,” said Home Affairs Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba.
Zimbabweans will need to apply for the permit at Home Affairs and provide proof of their nationality.
If they do not have official identification, they will go through testing.
“They will go through what we call a country verification test with the assistance of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees. They have certain tests they do to ascertain a person’s nationality. And based on that advice they will be able to tell us whether a person is a Zimbabwean or not,” said MacKay.
“We have this special dispensation because of the undocumented flow of illegal migrants from Zimbabwe into South Africa and we are trying to regularise the flow of people coming and going,” he said.
The special dispensation is predicated at lessening the pressures the large numbers of Zimbabwean migrants have created in South Africa.
MacKay said many Zimbabweans who apply for political asylum are, instead simply looking for employment. But once given asylum, they are barred from returning to Zimbabwe.
This forces them to stay in South Africa when they might prefer to live in this country for only a short amount of time.
“Most Zimbabweans are not asylum seekers, they are economic migrants. So what they want to do is to come into the country do some work and go back
home and take money back.
“We also believe this special dispensation will result in foreign currency going into Zimbabwe and assist in building up that country,” said MacKay.
Six month permits
The special dispensation will be a six-month permit. Whether it is renewed will not be based on the applicant, but rather the economic situation in Zimbabwe, according to the Home Affairs department.
“After six months we will review what the situation in Zimbabwean is, can people go back, has the economic climate improved?” said MacKay.
Gigaba said police would not be allowed to arrest Zimbabweans who had the special dispensation permits but proof of the permit would be needed.
“Just because you say you are a Zimbabwean national doesn’t mean they can’t arrest you,” said Gigaba.
- Sapa/Zimbabwe Guardian
Tagged: Asylum seekers, South Africa, Work Permits
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What If I have that temporary work permit for asylum seekers?
It is noted with great relief that something is being done to improve the situation that everyone probably commented as unwarranted to leave in any country without being know.It has been repeatedly said by others that the proposed 6 months permit will allow people to legalise their stay in RSA. My concern at the moment are those people who had already applied for assylum documents and were continuosly extending their stay basically getting between 1-3 months each time and basically struggling to even get attended to. An example is at M arabastad where anyone can go and witness the disgusting situation taking place there where the poor and more suffering people have to even pay money amounting to R200 to gain access into the offices without anyone to their rescue and have to travel several times to try and present themselves and believe me its painful and costly. Lastly other assylum seekers have got kids attending school and the qestion is how will it be handled if the parents needed their children to continue with their studies to great lenghts and no status has been issued to parents to fend for the little ones whilst doing their studies. It is quite clear that it is an inconvinience to be moving children from one place to the other time and again. I hope the above is in order and I think some people will agree with me that that such issues are giving people sleep less nights as they need to know where they stand
My corporate permit is expiring 05/06/09 and am formal employed .My passport is valid up to 2015 and how can i obtain dispensation Permit.Please advice on 078 245 7093
we got Emergency Travel documents from the Zim Consulate after paying R450.The docmnt permited us to go to Zim and come back to South Africa.We went but when we came back,the immigration refused to stamp the ETD and give us the Special permit.we had to illegally force our way in and still remain undocumented. Help us on 0781513521
I have about 10years with my asylum and they haven’t granted me citizenship how long does it take for one to be a citizen in a country ? .
I am currently employed with an asylum, when I went to the home afair to get the new permits I was informed that I will not need one as I am leagaly in SA and that only the illigal people need to apply for the new permits. When one of my friends went to Homa afairs he did not get a new stamp. Would I still be able to work if my asylum has not been stamped, how will I be able to get a permit?