Home Affairs Press Statement confirms asylum seekers and refugees access to bank accounts
BRIEFING TO MEDIA BY HOME AFFAIRS DIRECTOR-GENERAL MKUSELI APLENI ON THE JOINT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT AND THE FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTRE
Home Affairs Ministerial Offices, 909 Arcadia Street, Arcadia,11 November 2010
Pretoria - Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, today Thursday 11 November 2010, is happy to announce that refugees and asylum permit holders will from now henceforth be able to open bank accounts to enable them to transact and engage in economic activity and access all other social services provided for by the government. This would be in line with international practice and conventions to help create a climate in which refugees and asylum permit holders can live their lives in dignity while engaging in economic activities to lead normal lives like the rest of the citizenry. In this regard, our banks have been inundated with requests from refugees and asylum permit holders to open bank accounts based on permits issued to them by the Department of Home Affairs. In terms of the current FICA regulations this was not possible since the permits were not deemed to be a form of identity and did not provide sufficient proof of residence.
Section 22 permits are issued to applicants who enter the country seeking asylum for political and religious persecution as well as harmful traditional practices in their own countries. Section 24 permits are issued to applicants who have been granted refugee status in the country. In this regard, Financial Services regulations require that any applicants seeking to open a bank account in South Africa must produce a green bar-coded identity book and proof of residence. Since asylum seekers and refugees do not possess green bar coded ID’s and proof of residence, this posed a challenge to them to open bank accounts since they did not possess the necessary documentation to do so in line with FIC regulations.
In response to these requests from the community affected, Minister Dlamini Zuma after consultations with her counterpart, Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan directed the Department of Home Affairs to enter into negotiations with the Financial Intelligence Centre to develop an amicable solution to address the plight of these refugees and asylum permit holders. A series of consultations between Home Affairs and Financial Intelligence Centre followed to address the plight of the refugees and asylum permit holders in line with Ministerial directives. Accordingly, we are today pleased to announce that the Department has now entered into an agreement with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) to verify the authenticity of section 22 and 24 permits issued in terms of the Refugees Act, to asylum seekers and refugees to enable them to open and operate bank accounts.
In terms of the agreement, the Department of Home Affairs has committed itself to upgrading the existing verification centre through which banks could verify the validity, authenticity and integrity of permits produced by refugees and asylum seekers seeking to open bank accounts. The Department further undertook to provide this verification to the banks within two days of receipt of requests from the banks. In addition, the Department of Home Affairs will make available the standard operating procedure (SOP) to the banks for the verification process by Monday 15 November 2010.
It is our conviction that the agreement will give expression to government’s commitment to care for all within its borders while strengthening the Department’s commitment to honour its international obligations in terms of support to refugees and asylum seekers.
DOCUMENTATION OF ZIMBABWEAN NATIONALS IN SOUTH AFRICA
In a related matter, and as you know, following a cabinet decision, the Department of Home Affairs put measures in place to document and regularise the stay of Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa as well as extend amnesty to those who return fraudulently acquired ID’s and permits to the department. This process will end on 31 December this year.
Since this announcement, our offices throughout the country have been inundated by large volumes of Zimbabweans seeking to comply with SA’s Immigration laws and to take advantage of the government offer arrived at in agreement with the Zimbabwean government
Despite ongoing challenges, the government working in conjunction with representatives of the Zimbabwean expatriate community in South Africa including the Zimbabwean embassy and consulate has been, doing all it can with its powers to assist the Zimbabwean nationals to acquire the necessary documentation.
In this regard, we have even provided offices in Belville, Western Cape to assist the Zimbabwean embassy and consulate in South Africa to provide their nationals with valid travel documents. In Johannesburg, we have also opened one more office in Market Street to deal with the large volumes of applicants.
In this regard, as at Wednesday 10 November 2010 we have received a total of 60344 applications of which 21447 have been adjudicated and 18838 approved. The total number awaiting adjudication stands at 38897 while 2609 applications have been rejected. Thus far, a total of 1560 nationals have been granted amnesty following their return of fraudulent documents and permits.
As I address this media briefing our colleagues are currently in a meeting with the Financial Services Board, South African Insurance Association and the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa to develop a framework on how to deal with nationals who have entered into short and long-term financial agreements using fraudulent identity documents.
We will in addition and in due course have similar discussions with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) which regulates the banking industry. This will help provide a comprehensive solution to those who had made acquisitions using fraudulent South African documents.
We have also begun, on a daily basis, to compile a database of the names and passport numbers of people that we were unable to assist due to capacity constraints. These people are then assisted first on the following day.
We reiterate our call to Zimbabwean nationals to apply to have their stay in the country regularised and not wait for the deadline. Forms are handed out, free of charge in our offices. Permits are also issued to applicants at no cost. It is very disappointing that Zimbabweans are being made to pay for that which is available at no cost. In addition, we appeal to South Africans employers and educational institutions to confirm the employment and/or educational status of Zimbabwean nationals without fear of prosecution. This will assist government to meet its commitment to finalise this process by the end of December 2010.
We continue to be seized with this matter and will endeavour to meet our deadline of 31 December 2010 to regularise the stay of all Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa to enable them to lead normal lives in dignity and within the framework of the law./End
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853
℅ Department of Home Affairs
Pretoria
0001