New SA points-based visa system raises uncertainty for Zimbabweans

South Africa’s Cabinet has approved sweeping changes to the country’s immigration system, introducing a points-based framework for visas and citizenship that prioritises skilled workers and economic contributors. While the government hails the reforms as a modernising step forward, Zimbabwean migrants already living in South Africa fear they could be left behind. The new white paper on citizenship, immigration and refugee protection consolidates decades of fragmented legislation into a single piece of law.

For the first time, South Africa will assess both work visa applicants and citizenship seekers based on what they can contribute, not how long they have been in the country. Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the changes will replace an “arbitrary, subjective and often highly inefficient” system that left too much power in the hands of individual officials. “The general principle we want to introduce is one of objectivity, one of merit-based assessment, and using a points based system is the clearest way to do that,”Schreiber said to South African media.

The white paper also introduces a significant shift in how South Africa handles refugee claims. Under the new “first safe country” principle, asylum seekers who have already passed through other safe countries or received protection elsewhere will not be allowed to claim refugee status in South Africa. Dr Schreiber said the change is about sharing responsibility more fairly across the region.

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“What we’ve seen over many years is there is a phenomenon of people picking and choosing South Africa as the only destination where they want to submit a claim for asylum, and that really is taking a toll on our society,” he said. “If you have asylum in a different country or if you have travelled through multiple safe countries that qualify in terms of those UN instruments, we are not going to then accept a situation where we are the destination of choice, because by definition, if you are a refugee, you are fleeing for your life.” The minister acknowledged South Africa will need to enter into bilateral agreements with neighbouring countries to designate which nations are considered safe.

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