The Department of Home Affairs has proposed a new Refugee Reception Office at the Beitbridge Port of Entry. It also proposed closing the Tshwane office. The plans are in a Government Gazette published on Friday, according to the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration.
The Gazette proposes that a specified category of asylum seekers must report to the Beitbridge office. They may also be processed through it. The IMC said it welcomed the publication of the proposals.
“These proposals form part of government’s broader programme to modernise and strengthen asylum and migration management systems while improving border management capabilities and ensuring compliance with South Africa’s constitutional and international obligations toward refugees and asylum seekers,” the IMC said in a statement on Friday.
The committee said Home Affairs wants to improve how asylum applications are handled. It said the department also wants better identity checks and security screening. The IMC said the department wants fewer chances for abuse of the asylum system.
The IMC said the Beitbridge office would process asylum seekers closer to a major port of entry. The committee said this should also improve border management. It said immigration, refugee-status and border officials should work together better.
The IMC said closing the Tshwane office is part of a wider change to refugee services. It said the aim is to make operations more efficient and to align services with government’s migration strategy.
Under the Gazette, the people affected may have to report to Beitbridge for registration or documents. They may also have to go there for decisions on their claims, permit renewals or record updates.
“The proposals do not alter the legal rights and protections available to asylum seekers under South African law,” the committee said.
The IMC said affected people will be told which categories must report at Beitbridge. They will also receive the implementation dates and transitional arrangements. The committee said they will get document requirements, reporting procedures and details on where to get help.
The committee said government had already outlined a phased approach during a public briefing on migration reforms. It said this approach moves refugee reception work closer to ports of entry and border areas.
“South Africa will continue to uphold its obligations under national legislation, the Constitution, the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa,” the IMC said.
The IMC called on refugees, asylum seekers and civil society groups to study the proposals. It also asked legal practitioners, academic institutions and the public to take part in the consultation. It said final decisions would take stakeholder input into account.
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, chairs the committee.
According to the Gazette, written comments must reach Home Affairs on or before 30 November 2026. They should go to the Chief Director: Legal Services, for the attention of Advocate Moses Malakate. People can deliver them to the Hallmark Building, 230 Johannes Ramokhoase Street, Pretoria. They can also post them to Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001, or email [email protected].
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.