Identity cards for asylum seekers will make it easier for them to access services
SA has offered hope for refugees and asylum seekers‚ promising to digitise its systems to make their lives easier.Home Affairs Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan said the department would soon be introducing biometric smart cards for refugees‚ similar to the new identity cards for South African citizens.At an event hosted by the department at Durban’s Playhouse Theatre‚ Chohan said that SA had processed 2-million asylum seekers since 1998."If you compare that the fact that the whole of Europe‚ 27 countries‚ have processed 4-million people during this latest crisis‚ you can see what a challenge this has been for us‚" she said.She added that not only did SA have a record low number of asylum seekers in 2016 but a record number of 35‚000 were processed."We have changed the way we process asylum seekers. We have gone digital and it has improved our efficiency. This means that more refugees are able to access assistance and services‚" she said.She said the hope was that the biometric card for...
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