JOHANNESBURG, April 18 (Xinhua) -- South Africa is in the process of making radical changes to its immigration regime, which will affect foreigners acquiring citizenship and applying for certain visas, Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi said.
Motsoaledi made the remarks on Wednesday while briefing the media about the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection. "The white paper makes radical proposals regarding citizenship," he said.
Calling for the strengthening of the powers of immigration officers, Motsoaledi said that the poor enforcement of immigration law has created an immigration crisis in South Africa.
The new policy will remove contradictions and loopholes in the paths toward citizenship, and the criteria for granting any form of citizenship will strictly adhere to the law, said Motsoaledi, noting that every year South Africa deports between 15,000 to 20,000 illegal migrants.
There are also proposed changes to the country's visa regime. "Visas such as relative's visa, corporate visa and intra-company visa will be abolished," he said.
The country is also considering withdrawing from some international treaties on migration and refugee protection, according to the minister. "The white paper seeks to ensure South Africa is allowed to determine its path and possibly withdraw from some of the international treaties that have prevented the country from being able to open a path for the government to exercise its right to make reservations on some elements of the agreements." ■
