Home Affairs opens asylum seekers’ digital platform to assist entry into South Africa: What you need to know

A new Home Affairs asylum and refugee portal aims to address an existing backlog and adhere to an earlier Constitutional Court ruling. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will open the digital door to asylum seekers this week. Minister Leon Schrieber confirmed on Tuesday that phase one of a new digital platform will allow asylum seekers and refugees to register their intention to seek protection in South Africa. Schrieber stated that the move to digital satisfied the Constitutional Court’s July ruling on asylum and refugee admissions, while helping to address the department’s capacity challenges. The department said the digital platform would feature end-to-end encryption that “eliminates the scope for corruption”, while reducing application turnaround times. “[The system] is now live for a first batch of test cases and will begin public intake following the department’s next scheduled routine software release this coming weekend,” DHA stated. ‘Machine learning and AI technology’ The first step in the online application system involves an online registration, after which applicants will receive a receipt of their intention to apply for asylum. The digital registrations will capture facial biometrics, personal information and supporting documentation from asylum and refugee applicants. The department stressed that registering on the digital platform did not provide “blanket protection against immigration enforcement”, urging all foreign nationals to abide by the country’s immigration laws. Addressing the outstanding number of applications was paramount for the department, with Schrieber blaming the backlog on a “chronic shortage of funding and personnel” that could be solved with the use of technology. “We are systematically working to overcome these capacity constraints by harnessing cutting-edge biometric, machine learning and AI [artificial intelligence] technology, in line with our overall vision for digital transformation. “Over the next few months, we will roll out subsequent phases of this project until the time required to adjudicate an asylum application and appeal is dramatically reduced, ensuring protection for the small minority of applicants in genuine need,” the minister stated. Not to be considered a formal application The department stated that the digital system will help it to streamline capacity and planning resources by gauging the incoming volume of applications. Later phases of the system will become fully digitised, incorporating appointment scheduling, wider biometric data verification and cross-referencing with DHA records. “[This will] reduce the time it takes to process new asylum applications and appeals, enabling swift deportation of the 95% of asylum applicants who are routinely rejected,” the department claimed. DHA reiterated that online registrations were not equal to applications, and any asylum seeker or refugee without access to the internet could still be assisted at a refugee reception centre. “Registering an intention to apply for asylum does not confer any status on an applicant and does not constitute a formal asylum application, nor does it automatically grant asylum, refugee status or South African citizenship to anyone. “Individuals will still be required to follow the formal asylum application process in accordance with South African law,” DHA confirmed.