A sarcastic “Thank You” to Home Affairs
It’s official. From 3 March 2009 South African passport holders will have to apply for a travel visa to visit or transit through the United Kingdom. This week’s British High Commission (BHC) ruling will affect approximately 400 000 South Africans who floc
Home affairs failed the British Isles Entrance Exam
South Africa’s visa waiver wasn’t withdrawn overnight. It follows a March 2007 decision by UK authorities to apply a Visa Waiver Test to all countries outside the European Economic Area. Future immigration controls were determined after evaluating each country against the following criteria:
· Issuing secure passports
· Co-operation in re-documentation and return of nationals being deported or removed from the UK for immigration and other offences
· A sufficiently low incidence of identified immigration abuse
· A sufficiently low risk posed by the country’s nationals in terms of terrorism and criminality
· The steps taken by the country to combat terrorism, crime and immigration abuse internally
· The economic impact on the UK of the imposition of a visa regime
· The impact on political and cultural relations between the country and the UK and how this will affect the UK.
Upon completion of their assessment (in July 2008) the UK government put 11 countries on daily report. South Africa featured prominently on the list due to the dismal performance of its Home Affairs department. The UK advised the department that an in principle decision had been taken to impose visa requirements on South African passport holders, subject to a six month mitigation period. At this point we enter the realm of assumption. We assume that Home Affairs could have avoided the current visa debacle had it provided sufficient assurance to the UK government that the above concerns would be addressed. But Home Affairs’ failed to do so.
A dismal track record
Home Affairs has been under the spotlight ever since South Africa’s first democratic elections in April 1994. Since then there have been numerous complaints about abuses in the issuing of identity documents and passports. It emerged a couple of years ago that criminal syndicates had moved more than 6 000 people through the UK – and on to other international destinations – using fraudulently obtained South African passports. It’s little wonder under these circumstances that the BHC mentions serious concerns with the “abuse of the South African passports.” The same department picks up a lot of flack for its dismal service delivery on the domestic front. Earlier this week the department confirmed that “more than 300 000 identity books were stuck in Home Affairs’ offices around the country”. The admission is rather disappointing on the ‘eve’ of the 2009 national election.
On the international front the UK authorities were also influenced by the number of South African citizens who ignore the conditions of the so-called free entrance visas. According to the BHC “in the last two years there has also been a significant increase in the number of South African nationals detected working illegally or overstaying after their leave to remain in the UK has expired.” The concern for South African citizens must be that UK-visas will be aggressively policed in coming months. And that means that even if you have the R926 in your pocket, the UK may deny you a visitors’ visa!
A real blow for the country’s youth
Young South Africans who hope to gain experience doing ‘holiday’ work in the UK have had their hopes dashed too. The first blow came when South Africa failed to apply for the Youth Mobility Programme which was introduced in mid-2008. And the second is that the new visa regime replaces the Working Holidaymaker Visa which South Africans previously relied on to take up part time work in the UK. The popular visa allowed school leavers younger than 27 years to spend two years in the country.
Many readers will simply shrug their shoulders when they learn of the new visa requirement. We spent a few minutes trawling through reader responses on iafrica.com to gauge the mood. It seems most of us accept that countries around the world require visitors to apply for entrance permits. Thus the average South African has no problem in paying for the privilege. But they’re annoyed that Home Affairs’ repeatedly ignored British requests to do something about its lax passport controls. Reader responses confirm the ‘eye for an eye’ attitude that’s so deeply rooted in our culture. They want Home Affairs to launch an immediate counter-strike (a draconian visa requirement on British passport holders) rather than getting their house in order.
We content that in recent times the move has been away from restrictive travel policies toward a freer society. Although we don’t object to applying for a visa the process adds to the ‘red tape’ involved in making a simple international trip. And we find it objectionable that Home Affairs’ ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude has resulted in the withdrawal of one of our only visa-free European destinations. Convenience matters aside, the R926 will add to the cost of a ‘ticket’ to the United Kingdom. At the moment those brave enough to travel economy class can score a return ticket to the UK for around R6 000. Your budget will have to expand some 15% to accommodate the new visa requirement!
Editor’s thoughts:
Like many South Africans we have family in the UK. We try to get out there once every couple of years – and we doubt an additional R1 000 per trip will prove much of a deterrent. But that’s not the issue. Our real concern is the failure of Home Affairs in dealing with serious misgivings about its passport controls! What action would you take to sort out the department? Add your comment below, or send it to [email protected]
