Attributed metadata history

South Africa to launch biometric asylum application platform in November

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says it intends to launch a biometric online application platform for asylum seekers by November 10. The move comes as the government continues its push to expand the use of biometrics to tackle identity fraud and improve its handling of migration-related issues. The information was disclosed by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, speaking during an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration media briefing in Pretoria on October 11. According to Schreiber, the envisaged system would allow DHA officials to verify applicants' identities, identify people who have previously submitted unsuccessful applications, authenticate passports and other travel documents, and check for other recorded immigration infringements. He said the principal objective was to speed up asylum application processing while reducing abuse of the system. The minister explained that the platform will require asylum applicants to submit biometric information, which DHA will use to verify their identities. The launch comes as Home Affairs faces an estimated backlog of 120,000 asylum appeals. Schreiber told the media that he did not have exact figures for the backlog, but he estimated that around 120,000 appeals were yet to be fully processed. He disclosed that initial applications were being processed in approximately 30 days, with the main delays occurring during appeals. In this regard, he said the department had brought in 74 advocates to step up its capacity to process pending appeals. Per the DHA, biometric checks are helping advance its ongoing digital transformation push, and giving meaning to the fight against identity fraud. The department this week welcomed the arrest of two former officials linked to a passport fraud syndicate uncovered in 2022. In a statement, the department noted that the syndicate exploited a manual-process loophole known as photo swapping, and used the identity details of legitimate citizens to obtain passports bearing photographs of foreign nationals. Officials underscored the importance of the ongoing reforms that now require biometric verification for passport applicants, including when photographs are captured. According to officials, this has helped close the loophole by making it more difficult to substitute another person's photograph during passport processing. In July, Home Affairs announced that it was looking for a service provider to build a system and supply biometric devices for a field campaign aimed at conducting identity verification as part of the government's push against illegal migration. The tender called for expertise in the development, support and maintenance of a biometric case management system for the department's Inspectorate Directorate, along with 600 handheld devices with built-in biometric readers. The asylum platform and the planned case management system reflect South Africa's sustained push to integrate biometrics into immigration administration and other public service delivery processes. Earlier this month, Schreiber presented an assessment of his 27 months in office, outlining the gains made in building South Africa's digital transformation infrastructure. On that occasion, he also demonstrated a prototype of the country's upcoming digital ID and unveiled plans to phase out the controversial green ID book.

This record contains metadata and attribution only. It does not host, download, unpack, render, or execute malware samples.