Brits are worst in over-stay stakes

Home Affairs Deputy Director-General Jackie McKay. Photo : Sizwe Ndingane

Home Affairs Deputy Director-General Jackie McKay. Photo : Sizwe Ndingane

Published Sep 2, 2014

Share

Cobus Coetzee

EUROPEAN visitors were the main transgressors of South African immigration regulations with thousands overstaying their tourist visas by months over the past three years, the Department of Home Affairs has revealed.

Immigration statistics by the department show 11 865 citizens from European countries overstayed their visits between January 2011 and July this year. On average about 1.5 million tourists from Europe visit South Africa each year.

Last week Jackie McKay, deputy director-general for immigration services, told Parliament that “European nationals abuse our immigration laws by entering into South Africa and staying here indefinitely”.

“When they leave (the country) they pay the fine and they are back tomorrow,” he said. “They actually stay here permanently without the correct visa.”

McKay said some Europeans who used to overstay their visas in the past, paid fines and a few weeks later returned to the country.

The department is hoping the new immigration regulations introduced in May would act as a deterrent to keep visitors from overstaying their visas.

Under the new regulations, fines no longer apply and Home Affairs officials may now declare overstayers “undesirable” and refuse them re-entry for a period of up to five years.

Home Affairs spokesman Thabo Mokgola said previously people who overstayed up to 30 days were issued a R1 000 fine. The largest fine of R3 000 was issued to visitors who overstayed their visa by more than 91 days.

Nearly half, or 5 006, of the European transgressors were from the UK, while 1 861 were from Germany, 814 from France and 538 from Portugal.

On average they stayed on in South Africa for up to four months, or 118 days, after their three-month tourist visa had expired.

British High Commission spokeswoman Isabel Potgieter said they had informed their citizens of the change in the immigration laws by posting it on their website.

Immigration lawyer Matthew Venturas said his firm had been inundated with people calling in and asking for assistance with regard to their “undesirable” status.

“We have several active cases on the go this month and many more in the pipeline,” he said.

Venturas said it was “general practice” by some European visitors to overstay their visa by between 90 to 140 days.

He said stricter immigration regulations could affect some families staying in South Africa.“If a family member is declared undesirable and banned from re-entering South Africa for up to five years, it can tear a family apart,” he said. “Not everyone can afford to relocate an entire family.”

He said, however, that many of the people being declared “undesirable” found themselves in this position as a result of their own actions.

Yesterday MEC for Economic Opportunities Alan Winde handed over a petition to Parliament to suspend the new immigration regulations. He believes it will have a dire impact on the province’s tourism industry.

[email protected]

Cape Times

Related Topics: