South Africa April 2006 |
|
| Tangled up in all the red tape, (Sunday Tribune, 2006-04-16):-The Department of Home Affairs has defended itself in the face of criticism that its red tape is designed to drive away highly skilled foreigners the country desperately needs. In the spotlight is the departure of Wits Business School head Prof Mukul Gupta, who has quit, apparently frustrated by the Catch-22 bureaucracy involved in getting study permits for his daughters. Gupta, who was headhunted from India, vented his frustration in an interview with Business Report and said the needs of his family came first. But ministerial spokeswoman Cleo Mosana said there might be "misperceptions". Gupta objected to having to go through about 11 steps to get the study permit and to being caught in a situation where he had to provide proof of acceptance at an educational institution to get the visa - but to be accepted at an institution, he had to provide proof of a visa. Mosana said requirements for a study permit were not burdensome. She listed these as: a fee of R425; completing a single, comprehensive "Form 8"; providing the department with passport, medical and radiological reports, a police clearance certificate (if over 18) and a yellow fever certificate, if required; an official letter from the relevant institution confirming provisional acceptance at that institution; proof of medical insurance and proof of sufficient funds for tuition fees and subsistence; a refundable deposit to cover the costs of deportation, should this become necessary. "We do not believe that these requirements are onerous. The form is long, because the requirements for each permit have clearly been set out in order to avoid the need for cross-referencing the Immigration Act and regulations," Mosana said. She denied claims by, among others, the Chamber of Commerce, that impediments to skilled immigrants were increasing. "It would appear that the difficulty may have been with the educational institution involved, which may have required proof of educational qualifications certified by South African education authorities. Certainly, regulation 10(1)(a) is clear that a letter indicating provisional acceptance is required before a study permit may be issued," Mosana said. "Since the introduction of the Immigration Act it is, in fact, easier for foreigners to study in South Africa. Permits are now issued for the duration of the course, and we no longer require the institution to indicate that the foreigner is not taking the place of a South African citizen," she added. Mosana said she had personally contacted Gupta after reading about his plight and he had said he was happy to be going back home to India. But opposition politicians are not convinced. They said rather than loving South Africa from a distance, they would prefer skilled foreigners to be helped to stay in South Africa. However, Home Affairs seemed to be making it as difficult as possible for people to come to South Africa to work, they said, and they intended posing questions on the matter in parliament. Democratic Alliance spokesman Sandy Kalyan said Gupta was sent "from pillar to post" in his attempts to get study permits for his children. The MP said Gupta's story was unfortunately not unique and underlined that South Africa's immigration regulations were "far too prescriptive and not user-friendly". "The government cannot speak with a forked tongue on the matter - either we want skilled foreigners to work in South Africa, or we don't. If we do want them to come to our shores, then the Home Affairs Department must make it as easy as possible for them to bring their skills to South Africa. If we put up barriers to entry into South Africa, the skills will go somewhere else and we will lose out," Kalyan said. The Gupta affair comes as the latest in a series of unfavourable stories about Home Affairs. The department does not have a good public reputation and has faced repeated criticism about fraud and financial disarray. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |