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Home Affairs issues exemption certificate to assist displaced persons accommodated in temporary shelters
21 July 2008
During the past month the Department of Home Affairs has issued 6 000 exemption certificates to persons displaced by the recent xenophobic attacks.
The primary purpose of the exemption certificate is to provide access control at the shelters, ensuring the safety and security of its residents, particularly of women and children. The certificate enables the shelter managers, government departments and numerous organisations providing assistance to identify residents.
The exemption certificate, a legal document in terms of section 31(2) (b) of Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No.13 of 2002), also provides legal status to those persons who either lost their documents or were undocumented at the time the violence erupted. Exemption is granted for a period not exceeding six months.
The exemption certificate does not cancel or replace any valid documentation an individual may have received prior. Those individuals with valid permits such as work permits, asylum seeker permits or refugee status will NOT lose that status. Recipients of the exemption certificate maintain the right to apply for further documentation from the Department of Home Affairs.
The rollout of the special permit has been carried out in consultation with various stakeholders including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Gauteng and Western Cape provincial governments and various non-governmental organisations.
“Upon arrival at a site, prior to the issuance of the permit, the department embarked on a communication campaign, assisted by the UNHCR, leaders as shelters, as well as the Gauteng and Western provincial governments, to ensure that all residents know and understand the purpose of the card,” explained Home Affairs spokesperson, Siobhan McCarthy.
The department would like to appeal for the co-operation of the shelter residents. “It is important that every resident in the shelter presents themselves to register for the exemption certificate. Without it the status of a person in the shelter cannot be verified, putting both the residents and staff at significant risk. We cannot provide assistance and protection to those in the shelters who need it most without the co-operation of all parties involved,” concluded McCarthy.
The issuance of the exemption certificates will continue to be rolled out across affected areas until all shelters have been registered. Residents of the Rifle Range Road (Johannesburg South) shelter who have not registered have been given until Monday night to do so.
Contact:
Siobhan McCarthy
Cell: 082 88 66708
Mantshele wa ga Tau
Cell: 082 802 4814
Issued by: Department of Home Affairs
21 July 2008