Pretoria: Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs, has announced the extension of the deadline for public comments on the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugee Protection. The new deadline is now set for 31 January 2024, extended from the initial date of 19 January 2024.

The extension, as detailed in Gazette No. 49976 published on 8 January 2024, comes in response to substantial public interest and requests for more time from various organizations and individuals. The need for additional time is attributed to the December holiday period. The White Paper, first announced by the Cabinet in November last year, aims to establish a comprehensive framework for granting residency and citizenship to foreign nationals and for protecting refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa. This framework is designed to align with the nation’s national security interests and to comply with international migration agreements and protocols to which South Africa is a signatory, as stated by Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

According to South Africa Government News Agency, the White Paper and its explanatory memorandum are available for download at www.dha.gov.za. Public comments are welcomed and should be addressed to the Chief Director of Strategy and Institutional Performance. These submissions can be made in several ways: they can be hand-delivered to the Department of Home Affairs at 230 Johannes Ramokhoase Street, Hallmark Building, Pretoria, addressed to Mr. Sihle Mthiyane. Alternatively, comments can be mailed to Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001, or sent via email to whitepaper@dha.gov.za.

The extended period for public comments reflects the government’s commitment to involving citizens and stakeholders in shaping policies related to citizenship, immigration, and refugee protection in South Africa.