The Department of Home Affairs will introduce a phased online registration and appointment system for asylum seekers by 10 November 2026. The moves aims to create a more orderly process after a Constitutional Court ruling and the operational problems that followed an earlier attempt to widen access.
How the new system will work
Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, announced the plan on 11 October. Asylum seekers will first register their intention online and receive an electronic receipt with their personal details, biometrics, a reference number, and a booked appointment at a Refugee Reception Office.
The receipt is not a Section 22 asylum seeker visa and does not grant refugee status. It only confirms that the holder has declared an intention to seek asylum. Home Affairs will instruct officials and the Border Management Authority that holders of a valid receipt must not be arrested, detained, or removed solely for lacking a visa while their application is pending.
Assisted registration will be available at every Refugee Reception Office, including for people in detention, with support from officials, legal representatives, or civil society partners.
What triggered the change
The change follows the Constitutional Court's 7 July 2026 judgement in Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town v Minister of Home Affairs, which struck down provisions that blocked asylum applications from people who entered irregularly or lacked documents. A subsequent directive on 28 September ordering offices to accept such applications quickly overwhelmed the system and triggered public unrest, including arson in Soweto and Durban. The directive was later withdrawn.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has said the new online model builds on existing digital and biometric systems already used by the department.
What happens next
The online system is an interim measure to maintain access while avoiding unmanaged queues. Government is preparing to return to court for further guidance on implementing the judgement and is drafting legislation based on the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection. That bill, expected next financial year, aims to allow remote lodging of applications and address related policy issues.