Public urged to comment on major overhaul of SA citizenship and immigration

The White Paper updates and expands upon an earlier version, refining policy proposals and adding detailed measures needed for implementation.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, has called on South Africans to submit written comments on the Draft Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection — a far-reaching policy proposal set to reshape the country’s citizenship and migration framework for the first time in a generation.

Published for public consultation on 12 December 2025, the Draft Revised White Paper provides a comprehensive vision for modernising South Africa’s immigration, refugee management and civil registration systems. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says the proposed reforms are designed to clamp down on fraud and abuse, bolster national security, improve service delivery and support economic development.

“It is designed to clamp down on fraud and abuse, enhance national security, improve service delivery, and promote economic development. Members of the public are encouraged to provide their inputs… thus playing a critical role in shaping the future governance of citizenship, immigration and refugee protection in South Africa,” the department said.

The White Paper updates and expands upon an earlier version, refining policy proposals and adding detailed measures needed for implementation.

Key Reform Areas in the Draft Revised White Paper

Refugee management reforms

One of the most significant changes is the refinement and proposed implementation of the “First Safe Country Principle.” Under this policy, asylum seekers who have already been granted refugee status or lawful protection in another country, or who travelled through safe countries before reaching South Africa, will be ineligible to apply for asylum here.

The reform aims to curb “asylum shopping,” where applicants bypass safe countries to claim asylum in South Africa. To prevent refoulement, the Minister of Home Affairs will be required to annually designate a list of safe third countries that are signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Citizenship reforms

The White Paper proposes a new merit-based system for naturalisation, replacing the current approach that relies mainly on years of residency. Key elements include:

• A Citizenship Advisory Panel (CAP) to evaluate applications impartially

• An annual window for submission of naturalisation applications to prevent backlogs

• A points-based system to create economic pathways to citizenship

The existing constitutional provision that a child automatically becomes a citizen when at least one parent is a South African at birth remains unchanged. Children of foreign parents will still be required to apply for naturalisation through legal channels.

Immigration reformsThe immigration system will be modernised to align with Operation Vulindlela’s recommendations and DHA’s digital transformation agenda. Key proposals include:

• New visa categories for remote work, start-ups, skilled workers (merging current critical skills and general work visas), sports and culture

• Replacement of corporate visas with sector-specific work visas

• A merit-based points system for certain visa and permanent residency categories

• Full rollout of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to capture biometrics of all foreign nationals entering the country

These reforms aim to streamline visa processing, attract investment and skilled labour, and ensure stronger compliance monitoring.

Civil registration reforms

The White Paper proposes a complete overhaul of the National Population Register (NPR), transforming it into an Intelligent Population Register (IPR) as the backbone of a future Digital ID system.

Unlike the current NPR, the new IPR will incorporate cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, biometrics, interoperability and real-time data integration to support improved governance, accurate planning and seamless service delivery.

A separate Digital ID policy will elaborate on the functionality of the system.

Public Participation and Consultation

The revised reforms incorporate priorities from the Government of National Unity (GNU), Operation Vulindlela’s visa review and the Home Affairs digital transformation agenda.

To maximise participation beyond the festive season, Cabinet directed that the consultation period be extended until 31 January 2026.

Public consultations will take place across all nine provinces between 15 and 30 January 2026, in addition to a national stakeholder session involving government, labour, business, academia, civil society and multilateral organisations.

The DHA will collaborate with GCIS, provincial governments and social partners to ensure communities are fully informed about how to participate.

The Draft Revised White Paper is available on the departmental website and in the Government Gazette:https://www.dha.gov.za/images/gazettes/53853-12-12-HomeAffairs.pdf

How to submit written comments (12 Dec 2025 – 31 Jan 2026):• Email: Whitepaper@dha.gov.za• Post: The Director-General, Department of Home Affairs, Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001

Dr Schreiber urged all South Africans — from legal experts to affected communities, businesses and civil society — to contribute to shaping a more secure, modern and efficient citizenship and immigration regime.