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President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Government of National Unity is taking measures to ensure June 30 is a normal day where South Africans can go about their business as usual.He was responding to the National Council of Provinces in parliament on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the June 30 deadline various organisations have stated for undocumented foreigners to leave the country. Much of the country is on edge, with some expecting unrest, violence and damage to property, though March and March leaders have said demonstrations will be peaceful.“Our security forces will be on the ready to prevent anyone wanting to destabilise the country,” the president said.He said the GNU was fixing the crisis-riddled migration system of SA through legislative amendments, policy changes and the deployment of technology.Ramaphosa said the comprehensive approach to migration management, endorsed by both the cabinet and the presidential co-ordinating council, included a multi-pronged response to migration and was supported by engagements with community leaders.“The first stage of our response is a crackdown on laws that are violated … the identification and deportation of undocumented foreign nationals. This we do because it is the norm that when one visits a country, they must have documents to show that they are legally in that country and how long they will be there.”He said 10,000 inspectors would be recruited by the department of labour to seek out and respond to employers using undocumented foreigners as labour to avoid paying South Africans the minimum wage or more.“The National Labour Migration Policy and the Employment Services Amendment Bill will introduce quotas for the employment of foreign nationals, in particular. “Now, to deal with the administrative backlog of asylum appeals, the Refugee Appeals Authority has recruited a number of advocates as additional adjudicators and continues to receive capacity support from the UN High Commission for Refugees to determine and finalise outstanding appeals.”He said the immigration system would be strengthened by rooting out corruption and deploying technology in migration documentation systems.“We are establishing an intelligence population register with biometric data, underpinned by a digital ID and phasing out the green ID books that enable identity theft, as I announced in the address to the nation. The electronic travel authorisation system is being extended to all airports and major land ports.”Ramaphosa said the electronic document system was also being rolled out as the government continued to clamp down on the production and distribution of fraudulent documents. The six busiest ports of entry in SA will be redeveloped and refugee reception centres relocated to border posts, he said.“The final part of our approach is to work with countries across the region as well as our continent. South Africa cannot address migration alone. Through SADC, the AU and bilateral relations we have with many countries, we will work together to tackle political instability, conflict, and economic hardships that drive people to leave their homes and to come here.”He stressed that the enforcement of SA’s laws rested with the state and the state alone. He warned against citizens seeking to enforce migration laws on their own and against harassing people under the guise of migration concerns. TimesLIVE
