Parliament Publishes Immigration Amendment Bill for Public Comments, SA Abuzz

• The government has invited South Africans to comment on the Immigration Amendment Bill, which it published
• The Bill seeks to clearly define immigration officers' roles and powers in arresting undocumented foreign nationals for deportation
• It also states that undocumented foreigners must also be given the right to make representations in court if they are to be arrested for deportation

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, the State of the Nation Address, Parliament and Parliamentary committees, politician-related news and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

JOHANNESBURG—The government has published amendments to the Immigration Act and invited the public to comment on them.

Immigration Amendment Bill published

The government announced on its @GovernmentZA X account that it published the Immigration Amendment Bill for public comments. Sections of the Immigration Act have been amended to pertain to illegal foreigners arrested for deportation.

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The Bill deleted subsection (1), paragraphs (b), and (d) of Section 34 of the act, which stated that undocumented foreigners detained without a court warrant should be released after 48 hours. It added a section mandating immigration officers to inform an undocumented foreigner's arrest and the rights set out in the act in a language they can understand, when possible.

Courts have also been given the power to detain an undocumented foreign national for not more than 30 days if it is not in the interests of justice to release them. Arrested undocumented foreigners must also be allowed to make representations to the court.

View the tweet here:

South Africans weighed in

Netizens shared their views on the Immigration Amendment Bill.

Akani Nwanati said:

"We've submitted this nonsense for some time, and nothing has happened."

Bongi Duma said:

"We have laws, but they are not enforced. The laws of our country need to be enforced."

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Mahlasela asked:

"Why should we keep signing these bills while we can just enforce the laws we have in this country?"

MamJ said:

"Start by enforcing the existing laws."

Bukeka said:

"We already have laws. Just enforcement them."

AfriForum opposes BELA Bill

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Source: Briefly News