Sonke Gender Justice Submissions on the White Paper on Home Affairs

The framework centers around three mandates of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) namely to manage the official identity and status of persons, manage international migration and to manage asylum seekers and refugees.

This White Paper attempts to address previous historical gaps in the DHA by “replacing the current model by repositioning the Department of Home Affairs as a modern, secure department, managed strategically by professionals. Such officials must be technically competent, citizen-centred and actively involved in national security within their mandate.” It would appear that much emphasis is placed on the interest of national and cyber security alongside technical modernization of systems and while some reference has been made to the basis on our Constitution, one would caution that the policy and ensuing acts should also practically reflect the values encompassed in the Constitution, ensuring all users of DHA services are treated fairly and with dignity.