The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) presented its submission on the Immigration Amendment Bill to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee: Home Affairs today.  The Federation supports this progressive Bill that was necessitated by a Constitutional Court judgement.  The Bill will capacitate Department of Home Affairs’ officials to detain persons who may be in violation of South Africa’s immigration laws and to ensure such persons’ are brought before a Magistrates’ Court within 48 hours to make a final determination on their legal status within the Republic.

Whilst welcoming these common-sense amendments, it is critical that Parliament strengthen the Bill to ensure that persons under 18 years of age are not separated from their families or placed in places where their constitutional right to safety will be compromised.  We have witnessed the horrors of young children being separated from their parents and placed into horrific detention centres in other countries and would not agree to South Africa following such human rights violations.

It is equally urgent that Government and Parliament ensure Home Affairs has the necessary resources to fulfill its mandate, in particular filling an untenable 60% staff vacancy rate, investing in badly aging infrastructure, ensuring it has reliable and modern IT systems, and that corrupt elements are removed and made to face the full force of the law.

We have been pleased with the tremendous work done by the employees of Home Affairs, in particular their strides in reducing backlogs of applications for civic and other services.  It is time the Budget gave them the support they need to once again ensure Home Affairs is an example of a capacitated state machinery.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks(Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za