South Africa: Final White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection Published

The final White Paper on White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugee Protection: Towards A Comprehensive Overhaul of the Migration System in South Africa in South Africa has been approved by the Cabinet and published in a government gazette, as announced by the Minister of Home Affairs on April 17, 2024, following the completed public comment process on January 19, 2024. As a reminder, the purpose of the White Paper is for the government to introduce a single legislation with multiple chapters of the Citizenship Act, Immigration Act and Refugees Act to establish a process for foreign nationals to obtain residency and citizenship in South Africa, as well as safeguard refugees and asylum seekers. This final White Paper is expected to be submitted to Parliament to be passed into law in the coming months. We will publish an alert with details when the related laws are passed.