ANC uses muscle on immigration bill

ANC determined to push Immigration Amendment Bill through the National Assembly

WYNDHAM HARTLEY
Published: 2011/03/23 08:02:16 AM
CAPE TOWN — The ruling African National Congress was forced to use its majority muscle to push the Immigration Amendment Bill through the National Assembly yesterday following rejection of the measure by all the main opposition parties.
The bill has attracted considerable criticism with its provisions that change the law for asylum seekers, particularly the one that now requires foreigners in SA to return to their home countries in order to change the status of their visas.
Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma angrily rejected opposition arguments that the bill would harm SA’s image abroad, that SA would fail to attract scarce skills, and that the bill was arguably unconstitutional for banning immigration practitioners from lodging visa and permit applications on behalf of their clients.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the Congress of the People (COPE), the Inkatha Freedom Party and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) all said during debate on the bill that they would oppose it.
Ms Dlamini-Zuma insisted that the ANC would not place on the statute book a law that was not in the best interests of the country. She said for those who obeyed the rules, the bill would make it easier to get a visa; but it also toughened up the measures that applied to those who did not abide by SA’s rules.
DA MP Annette Lovemore said the party fully supported measures that created a workable migration regime — "one that enhances both national security and economic development" — but was disturbed "at the extensive changes this bill proposes in the absence of a comprehensive migration policy". She accused Ms Dlamini-Zuma of "bulldozing" the bill through Parliament.
"This bill removes the exceptional skills permit and replaces it with a critical skills visa. An applicant for an exceptional skills permit was able to motivate why his or her skills or expertise were exceptional and why they would be of benefit to SA; however, this is not the case with critical skills. A list will be gazetted and a person with a skill that is not listed will simply not qualify. Based on the department’s dismal record with other similar lists, we believe that this change will only serve to keep critical skills out."
ACDP MP Steve Swart said "while there are a number of positive amendments … such as advanced passenger processing and adding human smuggling and trafficking to the list of crimes disallowing entrance … we share concerns as to the far-reaching implications of other amendments contained in this bill".

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