IN CONVERSATION WITH INNOCENT MOLOI
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The Department of Home Affairs has launched the first phase of a new digital asylum system, aimed at modernising the asylum seeker and refugee application process, reducing administrative delays and limiting opportunities for fraud and corruption.
The new online portal allows individuals seeking asylum in South Africa to digitally register their intention to apply for asylum by submitting personal information, facial biometrics and supporting documents. The platform is currently live for an initial batch of test cases, with public registration expected to begin following the department's next scheduled software release.
The first phase only records an individual's intention to seek asylum. It does not constitute a formal asylum application, grant refugee status or provide automatic protection against immigration enforcement. Applicants will still be required to complete the formal asylum application process in accordance with South African law.
The department says the digital system is intended to give effect to a Constitutional Court judgment delivered on 7 July 2026, while strengthening national security and improving the management of asylum applications.
Subsequent phases will introduce appointment scheduling, additional biometric verification, checks against existing Home Affairs records and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to assist with processing applications and appeals.
According to Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber, the system seeks to address longstanding administrative challenges, including an asylum appeals backlog that has accumulated over several years due to staff shortages and insufficient funding. He revealed that, at the beginning of the current administration, the department had only nine officials responsible for handling thousands of outstanding appeals.
The new online portal allows individuals seeking asylum in South Africa to digitally register their intention to apply for asylum by submitting personal information, facial biometrics and supporting documents. The platform is currently live for an initial batch of test cases, with public registration expected to begin following the department's next scheduled software release.
The first phase only records an individual's intention to seek asylum. It does not constitute a formal asylum application, grant refugee status or provide automatic protection against immigration enforcement. Applicants will still be required to complete the formal asylum application process in accordance with South African law.
The department says the digital system is intended to give effect to a Constitutional Court judgment delivered on 7 July 2026, while strengthening national security and improving the management of asylum applications.
Subsequent phases will introduce appointment scheduling, additional biometric verification, checks against existing Home Affairs records and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to assist with processing applications and appeals.
According to Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber, the system seeks to address longstanding administrative challenges, including an asylum appeals backlog that has accumulated over several years due to staff shortages and insufficient funding. He revealed that, at the beginning of the current administration, the department had only nine officials responsible for handling thousands of outstanding appeals.
