Measures are in place to prevent abuse of immigration policies for foreigners - Schreiber

CAPE TOWN - Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said there were measures in place to prevent the abuse of immigration policies for foreigners.

Schreiber also said that the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) was probing thousands of visas issued due to the alleged corrupt activities contained in the Lubisi Report, which exposed serious fraud in the department.

He said that the total number of approved cases since August 2022 was almost 80,000 cases (79,904). 

Schreiber was responding to written questions by MPs about the temporary visa concession for foreigners as well as the impact of wealthy foreigners on the rental housing market.
 
The home affairs minister was asked by African Transformation Movement (ATM) MP Vuyo Zungula on how the concession for foreign nationals aligned with the government’s strategy to reduce unemployment and protect job opportunities for South Africans.

Zungula also asked Schreiber for details of the skills transfer plan for foreign workers as well as the measures his department had in place to address the issue of fraud.

Schreiber said that the concession was aimed at addressing applicants who were affected by the backlogs experienced in the department. 

On the skills transfer, the minister said that this occured for a category of visa, namely, intra-company transfer, whereby the company is required to have a skills transfer plan.

But Schreiber referred questions on the impact of wealthy foreigners on the local property markets to other relevant departments, like human settlements.