Articles
Biden to give legal status to 500,000 undocumented spouses
President Joe Biden has announced a new policy that would protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation, according to administration officials.
The issue of immigration has proven an election-year headache for Mr Biden, who recently issued a sweeping executive action to curb record migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border.
The new policy will apply to those who have been in the country for at least 10 years and will allow them to work in the US legally.
The White House believes more than 500,000 spouses will be eligible.
Speaking at an event at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Biden said the move would help the US immigration system become less `unfair` and `unjust` for the benefit of immigrants, married couples - and all Americans.
Polls show that the immigration is a primary concern for many voters ahead of the presidential poll in November.
The White House also believes the new spouses policy will benefit 50,000 young people under 21 whose parent is married to an American citizen.
It marks the most significant relief programme for undocumented migrants already in the US since the Obama administration announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or Daca, in 2012.
`The action I`m announcing today will go into effect later this summer,` Mr Biden said at the White House.
`The steps I`m taking today are overwhelmingly supported by the American people, despite what the other team says,` he added, a reference to Republicans.
The White House announcement came as the US marked the 12th anniversary of Daca, which shielded over 530,000 migrants who came to the US as children - known as Dreamers - from deportation.
On Monday, senior administration officials said that undocumented spouses of US citizens would qualify if they had lived in the country for 10 years and been married as of 17 June.
Those who qualify will have three years to apply for permanent residency and will be eligible for a three-year work permit.
On average, the White House believes that those eligible for the process have been in the US for 23 years. A majority will have been born in Mexico.
They will be `paroled in place` and allowed to remain in the US while their status is changed.
NumbersUSA, an organisation that advocates for tighter immigration controls, slammed the new policy as “unconscionable”.
The organisation’s chief executive, James Massa, said in a statement: “Rather than stopping the worst border crisis in history, President Biden has overreached his executive authority to use an unconstitutional process, circumventing voters and their elected representatives in Congress, to send a message that amnesty is available to those who enter illegally into the United States.`
Alex Cuic, an immigration lawyer and professor at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, told the BBC that while the action affected a `narrow group`, it marked a `start` for a segment of the US immigrant population that historically would face complications normalising their status in the country, even when eligible.
`A good majority of them [would have] to leave the country in order to come back lawfully,` he said. `It`s like they physically enter the US, but their immigration `soul` doesn`t come with them.`
By allowing beneficiaries to parole in place, Mr Cuic added, officials `kill off the need to separate families` when one spouse needs to leave the country to apply for lawful permanent residence.
The application process is likely to be open by the end of summer, a senior administration official said on Monday.
The White House is also planning to ease and speed up the visa process for highly skilled undocumented immigrants who have received degrees from US universities or who have received a job offer in their field, including Dreamers.
Mr Biden`s announcement comes two weeks after he issued a sweeping executive action that allows US officials to quickly remove migrants entering the US illegally without processing their asylum requests.
That will happen once a daily threshold is met and the border is `overwhelmed`, the White House said in a statement.
The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, sued the Biden administration last week, arguing that it violated US immigration law with the action.
At the time of the announcement, Mr Biden urged those who consider the measure `too strict` to `be patient`.
`[In] the weeks ahead, I will speak to how we can make our immigration system more fair and just,` he said.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, said that while the two announcements `don`t intersect with each other at all`, the more recent action may help the administration `get some positive headlines after the pushback` they received over the border announcement.
`The Biden administration has been receiving a lot of flak from people saying that their focus has all been on new arrivals, when there are so many long-term undocumented immigrants stuck trying to navigate our complicated immigration system,` he added.
`I think the actions you`ve seen the president taking over the last few weeks really go towards addressing both those concerns,` Mr Reichlin-Melnick added.
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27. Aug. 2024 Sowetan Live
Court rules in favour of traditional wife and nullifies civil marriage
Hilda Sedinjane turned to the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane for an order that she be recognised as the true wife of deceased Seabela Malatji. The parties concluded a customary marriage in 1988 as evidenced by a lobola certificate and four children were born of the marriage. V.5574
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26. Aug. 2024 Cape Times
Outdated systems expose Home Affairs
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber on Tuesday said his department should urgently embrace technology, or South Africas national security would be under threat. Schreiber said the problems in the issuance of fraudulent visas pointed the department towards a solution that lay in embracing digital transformation in all its facets and across the department. V.5571
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26. Aug. 2024 Polity
Home Affairs committee wants inspectorate unit strengthened to track foreign nationals
The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs pointed out that while the deportation of 95 Libyan nationals has been effected, the need to strengthen the inspectorate unit of the department is necessary and called for an enhanced monitoring tool to track foreign nationals in the country. Earlier this week, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) concluded its preparations to deport the 95 Libyan nationals, after they were arrested in White River, Mpumalanga, last month. V.5572
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23. Aug. 2024 Sowetan Live
Two more people caught over IDs-for-sale scam
Duo`s arrests follow that of home affairs office cleaner Office cleaner Rhandzu Chauke with family and lawyer outside the Pretoria magistrates court, this after appearing on the charge of theft of home affairs stamp. The arrest of two undocumented Mozambican nationals in connection with the selling of fake IDs has lifted a lid on an alleged documents-for-cash scheme believed to be happening at the home affairs office in Centurion. V.5562
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23. Aug. 2024 TIMES TRAVEL
How to apply for Greece tourist visa: A step-by-step guide
Synopsis Travelers planning to visit Greece need a Schengen visa. The process includes scheduling an appointment, filling out an application form, submitting required documents, attending an interview, and waiting for processing. Greece is a gorgeous European nation noted for its iconic island destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos, among others. Those planning a trip to Greece, applying for a tourist visa is a must. Because Greece is a European nation, youll need to apply for a Schenegen visa. However its an easy process if you are aware of all the necessary steps carefully. V.5564
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23. Aug. 2024 Daad
Austria Job Seeker VISA With Family VISA Application Process
Ever dreamt of swapping your daily grind for a life filled with stunning mountain views, world-class music, and enough pastries to make your heart sing? Well, Austria is ready to roll out the red carpet for you! One of the key pathways to entering Austria as a skilled worker is through the Austrian Job Seeker Visa (Category D). V.5566
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23. Aug. 2024 Daily Maverick
Deadly Marabastad stampede sheds light on struggles of undocumented migrants in SA
Police are investigating a stampede that took place at the Home Affairs offices in Marabastad in Pretoria in which one person died and 20 more were injured. The story of Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina and how she became a contestant in the Miss South Africa pageant has cast notions of nationality and access to documentation for foreign nationals living in South Africa into the spotlight. V.5568
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23. Aug. 2024 DW
New Zealand: Emigration soars amid economic woes
New Zealand`s population of 5.3 million grew by just 0.1% (7,000) in the second quarter of 2024 as the number of those leaving the country reached well over 100,000 in the first half of the year, official statistics showed on Monday. The practical stagnation in population growth comes despite record numbers of arrivals in recent years driven largely by the island nation`s reputation for high living and working standards and as a haven of security in an increasingly troubled world. V.5569
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23. Aug. 2024 DW
New Zealand: Emigration soars amid economic woes
New Zealand`s population of 5.3 million grew by just 0.1% (7,000) in the second quarter of 2024 as the number of those leaving the country reached well over 100,000 in the first half of the year, official statistics showed on Monday. The practical stagnation in population growth comes despite record numbers of arrivals in recent years driven largely by the island nation`s reputation for high living and working standards and as a haven of security in an increasingly troubled world. V.5570
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21. Aug. 2024 IOL
Visa backlog: Portfolio committee welcomes overtime approval for Home Affairs officials
The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration has welcomed the approval of overtime for Home Affairs officials to reduce the visa backlog. This comes after Minister of Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi and his department granted the overtime request from Homes Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber for the next three months to meet target and reduce the backlog. V.5560
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20. Aug. 2024 News 24
While Schreiber wants to bring dignity to Home Affairs, xenophobia rears its head in budget debate
Several parties represented in Parliament blamed undocumented migrants for crime and draining social services during the debate on the Department of Home Affairs` budget. Claims undocumented migrants are disproportionately responsible for crime or are depleting South African taxes without contributing, have previously been debunked. New Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said he wanted to bring dignity back to the department`s work. V.5555
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20. Aug. 2024 Groundup
Judge slams law firm for misleading court with `cut-and-paste` applications targeting refugees
Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo has slammed a firm of attorneys and an advocate for `cut-and-paste` work in cases involving refugees. He ordered them to pay out of their own pockets for costs awarded in these cases. Manamela MA Attorneys was running a `cottage industry`, preying on vulnerable refugees, Mlambo said. A firm of attorneys and an advocate have been ordered to pay the costs, from their own pockets, of six `cut-and-paste` applications involving refugees seeking asylum, GroundUp reports. V.5556
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20. Aug. 2024 My Broadband
How to get your new Smart ID at a bank
South Africans looking to upgrade their green ID booklet to a smart ID card can book an appointment to do so using the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) eHomeAffairs platform. Moreover, the system allows applicants to book appointments at DHA-supported bank branches across the country, meaning they never have to step foot in a Home Affairs office or face the associated queues. V.5557
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20. Aug. 2024 SowetanLive
How stolen home affairs stamp led to cleaner`s bust
A year and four months after a stamp used to authenticate documents was stolen at a home affairs office, a 24-year-old man presented a birth certificate bearing the same stamp to apply for an ID. The certificate, however, was found to be fake and was produced four months after the stamp was stolen. V.5559
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19. Aug. 2024 SABC 3
Spaza shop owners cry foul regarding Gauteng government funding
Local entrepreneurs and spaza shop owners have lashed out at the Gauteng Department of Economic Development for failing to deliver on their promises which were part of the R100 million Kasi Mnotho Fund. The fund was aimed at offering strategic loans and empowering businesses to secure trading stock, equipment, machinery and working capital. This initiative was promised to business owners in an attempt to foster entrepreneurship and propel economic growth in Gautengs townships. V.5552
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19. Aug. 2024 IOL
Identity fraud rockets in SA
Identity fraud is on the increase in South Africa, with the latest fraud statistics recording a 400% surge in impersonation fraud from April 2023 to April 2024. Fraud statistics from the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) have also revealed that impersonation fraud increased by a staggering 356% from April 2022 to April 2023. V.5553
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16. Aug. 2024 EWN (EYEWITNESS NEWS )
Father unable to register his son because he is not the mother
For the past eight years, Mqokeleli Sigwintshi has been trying to get a birth certificate from the Department of Home Affairs for his son, who is now nine years old. Sigwintshi said in 2015, his wife, with whom he had a traditional marriage, gave birth to their son at the Willowvale Health Centre. A year later, his wife visited her family in Mthatha. V.5550
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14. Aug. 2024 Reuters
People leave New Zealand in record numbers as economy bites
People are leaving New Zealand in record numbers as unemployment rises, interest rates remain high and economic growth is anaemic, government statistics show. Data released by Statistics New Zealand on Tuesday showed that 131 200 people departed New Zealand in the year ended June 2024, provisionally the highest on record for an annual period. Around a third of these were headed to Australia. While net migration, the number of those arriving minus those leaving, remains at high levels, economists also expect this to wane as the number of foreign nationals wanting to move to New Zealand falls due to the softer economy. The data showed of those departing 80 174 were citizens, which was almost double the numbers seen leaving prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. V.5548
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14. Aug. 2024 SABC3
De Lille calls for concerted efforts for tourism to grow SA economy
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has called for concerted efforts to ensure that the potential of the tourism sector to grow the economy is realised. The sector is one of the apex contributors to the economy. The country is seeking to attract 15 million tourists to South Africa by 2030 as the National Development Plan envisages. V.5549
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13. Aug. 2024 Zimoja News
Driven by a desire for a luxurious lifestyle
A Congolese national was sentenced to 12 years for corruption and other crimes. CRIMINAL SYNDICATES Congolese national Tiny Mtumba (36) was sentenced to 12 years and 3 months imprisonment for fraud, theft, and contravention of the Immigration Act by the Palm Ridge Commercial Court in the East Rand in Gauteng on Thursday. V.5547
