Minister Leon Schreiber has outlined the key achievements recorded in the Department of Home Affairs at Thursday's Budget Vote presentation.
“It has been a year of remarkable progress for the Home Affairs ecosystem. I am here to confidently report to the House that the progress we have made over the last 12 months, by working as one team with one dream, has exceeded the expectations of cynics and optimists alike,” Schreiber said.
The department has cleared a backlog of over 306 000 visa applications dating back more than a decade.
“We produced and delivered just under 3.6 million Smart IDs, surpassing the previous annual record by nearly half a million.
“We deployed advanced drone and body camera technology at the border for the first time, leading to an increase of up to 215% in the detection and prevention of attempted illegal border crossings.
“We launched Operation New Broom as part of intensified operations to restore the rule of law, leading to over 46 000 deportations -- the highest figure in more than five years and more than countries like France and Germany combined,” the Minister said.
Schreiber said the department launched the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme to boost tourism from the major source markets of China and India where South Africa has underperformed for years.
“We enabled over 1.4 million naturalised citizens and permanent residents to obtain secure Smart IDs for the first time. We activated the Immigration Advisory Board for the first time in a decade by appointing a diverse group of seasoned experts to help shape better policies,” Schreiber said.
Schreiber said the department dismissed 37 crooked officials and launched the dedicated Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum that brings together law enforcement, the Special Investigating Unit, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations and the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure corrupt officials and fraudsters are put behind bars.
“Our anti-corruption work has led to the conviction of eight offenders, with sentences ranging from four to 18 years in prison.
“We built a working prototype of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system that will digitalise the visa processes from beginning to end, eliminating corruption and inefficiency,” the Minister said.
Schreiber said the reforms that his department will deliver in the next 12 months will begin to redefine the quality of services that South Africans expect from their government.
“The endpoint of these reforms is to enable both South Africans and legitimate visitors to apply and obtain enabling documents online, including in digital format, from the comfort of their own homes,” Schreiber said. – SAnews.gov.za
