Pretoria: The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, has called on South Africans to participate in shaping the future of the nation’s citizenship, immigration, and refugee protection frameworks by submitting written comments on the Draft Revised White Paper. This initiative marks a significant reform aimed at addressing fraud, enhancing national security, and promoting economic development in the country.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Draft Revised White Paper represents the most comprehensive revision of these frameworks in a generation. It updates the existing policies and adds detailed propositions to improve service delivery and governance. The Department of Home Affairs emphasized the importance of public input in this process, inviting citizens to engage actively in the consultation period.
Key reforms outlined in the Draft Revised White Paper include refugee management reforms, which introduce the ‘First Safe Country Principle.’ This principle aims to prevent asylum seekers who have already found refuge in other countries from seeking asylum in South Africa. Citizenship reforms propose a merit-based naturalisation process, with an annual window for application submissions to prevent backlogs. Additionally, a Citizenship Advisory Panel will be established to objectively assess applications.
The immigration system is set for transformation to align with both Operation Vulindlela’s recommendations and the department’s digital agenda. New visa categories will be introduced, and a merit-based points system is proposed for visas and permanent residency. Civil registration reforms aim to modernize the National Population Register into an Intelligent Population Register, forming the foundation for a future Digital ID system.
The government has prioritized public participation in this process, with a directive to extend the comment period until 31 January 2026. The formal public consultation period will run from 12 December 2025 to 31 January 2026, with opportunities for written comments and participation in public sessions across all nine provinces. A national stakeholder consultation will also be held to involve various sectors, including government departments, civil society, and academia.
Public consultations will occur from 15 to 30 January 2026, ensuring widespread engagement. The Department of Home Affairs, together with the Government Communication and Information System, will work to inform the public about the consultation opportunities. The Draft Revised White Paper is accessible on the department’s website and through the Government Gazette.
Comments can be submitted via email to Whitepaperdha.gov.za or by post to the Director-General, Department of Home Affairs, at Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001.