The Department of Home Affairs is preparing to introduce an online registration and appointment system for asylum seekers by 10 November 2026, following mounting pressure on refugee reception offices and unrest linked to the processing of asylum applications.
The announcement was made on Sunday by the government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, which outlined a new approach intended to manage applications while strengthening identity verification and easing pressure on Home Affairs offices.
Under the proposed system, people intending to apply for asylum will register their intention online and receive a receipt containing their details, a reference number and an appointment at a refugee reception office.
The process will incorporate biometric information to help officials verify applicants’ identities and determine whether they have previously submitted applications, including claims that were rejected.
Officials say the system is intended to improve the management of applications and help prevent people from repeatedly submitting unsuccessful claims to delay their removal from South Africa.
Online receipt will not grant refugee status
Home Affairs has stressed that the receipt issued through the proposed system will not constitute an asylum seeker visa or automatically grant refugee status.
Instead, it will record the applicant’s declared intention to seek asylum and provide details of the appointment for further processing.
The government says the system is designed to give effect to a Constitutional Court judgment delivered on 7 July 2026 in a case involving the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town.
The ruling addressed provisions of the Refugees Act that allowed asylum seekers to be deported because they were in South Africa without a transit visa. It did not mean that every person applying for asylum would automatically be granted permission to remain in the country.
Comes after withdrawal of controversial directive
The planned online system follows the withdrawal of a directive issued by the Department of Home Affairs’ director-general on 28 September concerning the intake of asylum applications.
On Friday, 9 October, the department announced that the directive had been withdrawn after refugee reception offices became overwhelmed and concerns emerged about the safety of officials and public order.
The department said it would develop a fresh operational approach to comply with the Constitutional Court’s judgment.
The developments came amid protests in parts of Johannesburg and Durban over asylum processing, with some demonstrations turning violent and incidents of arson and looting reported.
The government has since said it will seek further court guidance on implementing the judgment while introducing the new registration model.
The online system is expected to be operational by 10 November 2026. Until then, the government’s stated objective is to establish a workable process that balances access to asylum procedures with identity checks, immigration enforcement and the capacity of refugee reception offices.
