DA says a stronger passport lies in tightening domestic systems governing Home Affairs
The Democratic Alliance party calls upon South Africans to encourage the adoption of the smart ID card and digital services within Home Affairs, which will ultimately lead to a stronger and more secure South African passport and the easing of visa requirements across the board.
The call is prompted by the recent debate in the United Kingdom over the government’s visa, and immigration measures that have been highly contentious.
UK parliament debated proposals to extend the standard route to permanent residence from five to ten years for many migrants.
Supporters say this would reduce migration and strengthen integration, while critics agrue it creates uncertainty for people who have built their lives in the UK.
According to the UK Office for National Statistics, about 230,000 to 250,000 people born in South Africa live in the UK.
This includes both South African citizens and those who have since become British citizens.
The descendants of South Africans, the wider South African community is estimated at over 300,000 people.
Information provided by the Office stipulates that
many, South Africans work in healthcare, finance, engineering, education, information technology, and skilled trades.
DA Spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation Ryan Smith says the United Kingdom is well within its rights as a sovereign nation to determine its own migration policies, including stricter visa regulations for South African travellers.
” The bigger problem is domestic and regional issues affecting the strength of South Africa’s passport, which only we can and must address ” said Smith.
The DA emphasised that it is not for South Africa to determine what is and is not fair for citizens of the United Kingdom in relation to that country’s migration policy.
” These regulations are not banning travel to the UK for South Africans as a whole, merely regulating bilateral migration appropriately. It is not ideal, off course, that this may make it more difficult for South Africans to visit the UK for business, education or tourism, but again, the need for visas is rooted in the strength of South Africa’s passport which is a domestic issue for the South African government to resolve” said DA Spokesperson on International Realtions and Cooperation
Findings by Henley Passport Index indicate that South African passport ranked 35th in 2010 and in 2024 downgraded to 54th in the world.
The country’s passport is now ranked 50th in the whole world.
DA says the unfortunate reality is the green South African ID book because it is the most defrauded document on the African continent.
The party urge South Africans to partake in the process of shutting down the functioning of the green ID book.
” A forged ID book lead to foreign nationals travelling illegal on fraudulently obtained South African passports ” said the DA
By moving all citizens from the green ID booklet to the smart ID cards and securing South Africans borders appropriately, the DA believes they can address the security concerns that many Western nations have with the South African passport and pursue greater visa_free travel for the South African passport holders.
The DA is determined that the plans outlined by Minister Leon Schreiber of Home Affairs has already begun introducing the reforms to strengthen citizen registry and root out fraud and corruption within the national register.
