Home Affairs Minister changes policy regarding foreign children entering SA
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has signed a waiver which allows foreign children to enter the country without carrying additional supporting documents such as birth certificates and consent letters, the department said on Sunday.
The waiver has been applicable since Friday, after the minister’s signature, it said in a statement. This improvement in our admissions policy builds on the work the department has been doing to contribute to economic growth and investment. As of Friday, 8 November 2019, foreign children can enter and depart the country without being required to provide birth certificates, consent letters, and other supporting documents relating to proof of parentage,” Motsoaledi said in the statement.
The department had communicated the changes to immigration officials at ports of entry and to the airline and maritime industries.
South African children were still required to provide supporting documents, in line with the requirements of the Children’s Act. The same applied to unaccompanied foreign children, he said. Foreign children who required a visa for South Africa did not need to carry the supporting documents for inspection at a port of entry, as these would be processed together with their visa applications.
“It is significant that we have completed the policy changes in the week in which President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted the second investment conference. We anticipate that this change will have a positive impact on tourism as we approach the holiday season,” Motsoaledi said.
In other news – Gauteng judge Willem van der Linde passes away
He was a graduate of the University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela University), where he obtained his law degrees. Prominent judge Willem van der Linde, 63, died on Saturday after collapsing at gym, according to SA judiciary spokesperson Nathi Mncube.
Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court Dunstan Mlambo also passed his condolences along to the family and friends of Van der Linde. Read more
Source: IOL
