Latest news with #DepartmentofHomeAffairs'
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia poised to pass a million refugee intake milestone
Australia's handling of refugees this century has been problematic to some, shameful to others, but next November we will reach a milestone that is not only cause for celebration but a reflection of our best selves. Refugee Council of Australia chief executive Paul Power says the 1 million mark is expected to be reached in November after the Department of Home Affairs' declaration in June that Australia had accepted more than 985,000 refugees since World War II. It is an achievement that would make many countries proud, but Australia has accepted refugees from the earliest days of European settlement as people fled homelands with the aim of finding a better life. The first refugees, Lutherans fleeing religious intolerance in Prussia, arrived in South Australia in 1839, just a handful of years after it became the first colony established specifically as a free settlement. Others from the Continent followed and after Federation, refugees continued to arrive as unassisted migrants, provided they met restrictions imposed by the Immigration (Restriction) Act 1901, the cornerstone of the White Australia Policy. Between 1933 and 1939, more than 7000 Jews fleeing Nazi Germany were settled. World War II wrecked Europe and raised our awareness of vulnerability, and the Labor government in 1947 brought both issues together with an immigration program to meet labour shortages that eventually welcomed more than 170,000 refugees, the largest groups from Poland, Yugoslavia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Next came refugees fleeing persecution in Soviet bloc nations, Asians expelled from Uganda and then Chileans, Cypriots and East Timorese, before the fall of Saigon in 1975 saw resettlement of more than 100,000 Vietnamese. For years few questioned the refugee status of new arrivals. But an Indonesian fishing boat carrying 433 Afghans stranded off Christmas Island in August 2021 changed all that. Then prime minister John Howard sent the SAS to stop their rescue ship, Tampa, from landing and declared, 'we will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come'. These were not refugees, they were asylum seekers who had 'queue jumped'. They became a political rallying cry and three months later the Coalition was re-elected with a 3 per cent swing. Offshore detention was introduced, then abolished by Labor, and re-established by Labor. It continues: last month 112 asylum seekers were still in Nauru and 104 in Papua New Guinea, while 850 people remain in Australia without any resettlement pathway.
Daily Maverick
01-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
‘We want this resolved properly' — TymeBank CEO decries Home Affairs' ID verification fee hike
TymeBank CEO Karl Westvig has come out swinging in response to the Department of Home Affairs' identity verification fee increase When TymeBank CEO Karl Westvig says, 'I ultimately got to pay the bill in South Africa for it,' he's not just talking about rands and cents. He's talking about what he sees as a missed opportunity to build a world-class, fair and inclusive digital identity system that doesn't sabotage the very banks trying to serve the country's unbanked masses, just like the one TymeBank is building in the Philippines. Westvig, who oversees TymeBank's South African operations, has come out swinging in response to the Department of Home Affairs' (DHA) identity verification fee increase, which has sparked boardroom grumbling and public confusion. From 1 July, the DHA will charge R10 per real-time identity verification, up from a nominal 15 cents. In a late Friday evening conversation with Daily Maverick, Westvig unpacked why TymeBank, known for its *sigh* 'phygital' (physical + digital) model, feels blindsided and why he thinks the process failed the very people it claims to protect. Ghost letters and digital dead ends Unlike Capitec, which publicly backed the DHA's upgrade ambitions and promised to absorb the costs for now, TymeBank insists it never got a fair shot at the conversation. 'We were explicitly told to go through Sabric [South African Banking Risk Information Centre], not directly with DHA. It was a clear instruction,' said Westvig. Then came the phantom communication: an email, apparently sent to all bank CEOs in South Africa, which never reached him. 'We've checked our email servers. We've got no record. It didn't go to spam. It didn't go anywhere,' he said. This is why Tyme Group CEO Coenraad Jonker went on media platforms last week to say the bank was caught on the back foot while the new pricing snuck in through the front door. And while the DHA might see a universal fee structure as a necessary cost of securing South Africa's ID ecosystem, Westvig sees it as a blanket approach that ignores the nuances of a digital-first bank serving people on tight margins. Broken systems and surprise invoices The problem isn't just the price, it's the system behind it. TymeBank depends heavily on real-time online verifications to onboard customers in under five minutes, printing cards on the spot in retail kiosks. It's a model designed to bring people in from the 'margins' (think: social grant recipients who can't afford the steady wealth leak of bank fees), not push them out with costs they can't carry. 'The [DHA] system is down half the time,' said Westvig, pointing to the irony of people paying more for a service that regularly leaves them hanging. TymeBank's internal calculations show that if they had to pay R10 per internal database lookup, as they now face with the DHA, they'd 'be bankrupt a hundred times over' within a month. Even more frustrating to Westvig is the lack of clarity about how DHA arrived at its pricing. 'We don't understand if it's just for the online verification service or whether this is to fund something else. We don't know,' he said. 'We do not believe it's fair.' The offer they wouldn't take TymeBank offered to help build a new ID verification system for the DHA. 'We said, 'Let us help you. We'll build it for you,'' recounted Westvig. It's not a hollow boast. TymeBank has built a similar system from scratch in the Philippines, and Westvig says they're now costing it out to show the government just how lean a digital ID verification service can be if designed right. 'It's not a competitive structure,' he responded when asked whether they would sell it to the government and allow other banks to use such a system. 'We'd happily support a system available to all banks on the same basis, and it could run completely independently on cloud infrastructure like AWS [Amazon Web Services].' Fighting for the R370 grant recipient Westvig's frustrations aren't purely technical or corporate. They cut to the heart of TymeBank's mission: to bank the unbanked profitably, from day one. A grant recipient receiving R370, he argues, should be able to access 'free banking' (read: zero monthly fees), free payments and withdrawals that don't chip away at already strained budgets. 'We want that money in their pocket, not eaten by fees,' he said. Unlike some banks that reward big balances with higher interest, TymeBank pays one rate for everyone. It's a small but potent gesture in a country where financial inequality still tracks along apartheid-era lines. Capitec's marketing flex Meanwhile, Capitec has adopted a different strategy: take the hit on fees, call it a marketing expense, and move on. With its massive scale and traditional footprint, Capitec can afford to play the long game. TymeBank, still scaling up its digital-only model, doesn't have that luxury. 'Capitec can just absorb it,' said Westvig, hinting at the unequal playing field between incumbents and disruptors. No hard feelings, just unfinished business Despite the clash, Westvig insists TymeBank supports the DHA's intention to modernise and secure the population register. He praised the progress under Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber, calling him 'a great leader' with a positive track record. But intent, he argued, doesn't pay the bills. And in this case, it could undermine the very goal of financial inclusion South Africa so desperately needs. 'We have no tainted views on the DHA,' said Westvig. 'We just want this resolved properly.' For now, the bill lands on TymeBank's desk. DM
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Capitec supports identity verification fee increase amid TymeBank criticism
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber described the changes as a 'matter of national security, plain and simple.' Image: Ntswe Mokoena/GCIS Capitec has come out in support of the Department of Home Affairs' plan to raise fees for identity verification, stating that the upgrades are necessary to improve security and fight fraud. This comes after criticism from TymeBank CEO and Co-founder Coenraad Jonker, who described the fee increase as a 'catastrophic 6,500% increase in indemnity verification fees.' 'We are calling for a phased, performance-linked model that enables planning and protects financial access for underserved communities. This decision puts the Department on the wrong side of history. Digital transformation should open doors, not close them,' Jonker said. In a statement to IOL, Capitec said it 'supports the Department of Home Affairs' initiative to upgrade the National Population Register and enhance the stability and reliability of its Online Verification System.' The bank emphasised that the changes were crucial for developing a secure digital economy and tackling identity fraud. They also said that they would cover the extra costs internally, so customers would not see an increase in banking fees. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "While we understand these crucial upgrades require a fee increase from the Department, we have decided to absorb the additional costs. This means our clients will see no change to their banking fees as a result of this initiative for the current financial year," the bank said. "The digital identity verification service is a critical building block to prevent fraud, which ultimately comes at a significantly higher cost to all South Africans. By ensuring this system remains robust, we are helping to build a safer and more accessible financial future for everyone. "Capitec remains committed to working with the government to advance secure digital banking and protect our clients from evolving threats". IOL previously reported that the Department of Home Affairs said it was acting to stop the abuse of the identity verification system, accusing some private companies of overusing the National Population Register for profit while paying fees too low to sustain the service. IOL Business Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
Sky News AU
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
DFAT's efforts to support stranded Australians in Israel labelled 'shambolic' as evacuation email contained 'incorrect link'
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's efforts to support stranded Australians in Israel has been labelled 'shambolic' after an evacuation email was sent out which contained an 'incorrect link'. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's efforts to support stranded Australians in Israel as Iranian rockets hammer Tel Aviv has been labelled 'shambolic' after an evacuation email was sent out which contained an 'incorrect link'. In the email, which requested Australians in Israel to upload their personal details to register for evacuation, contained a link which redirected them to a Department of Home Affairs' Translation and Interpreting Service for people with limited English. According to The Daily Telegraph, the website was for people with 'limited English proficiency and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients', and not to evacuate a high-risk warzone. An Australian, whose first language is English, spoke to the publication said DFAT's blunder 'pretty much sums up this whole situation' after he was sent a link to book an interpreter instead of a seat on a plane to get home. 'Lots of Aussies got an email from DFAT asking for more information but the link didn't work - which pretty much sums up how this whole situation has felt,' the stranded Australian said. 'Unless someone was planning to translate their evacuation request into Mandarin, Hindi or Swahili, it wasn't much help.' The Australian stranded in Israel said it 'took days' before the Department and the Australian Embassy in Israel were able to set up an operational system to gather passport, visa and flight details from trapped Australians. 'We just hope it actually leads to action … It's not enough to just collect names - people are scared and want to get out,' the Australian traveller said. 'It's shambolic, and would almost be funny if it wasn't such serious and stressful situation.' has contacted DFAT for comment. Among those trapped in Israel is Olympian and former senator Nova Peris who shared here 'extremely frightening and distressing' experience witnessing 'unrelenting ballistic missiles' raining down across Israel. — Nova Peris OAM OLY (@NovaPeris) June 13, 2025 Ms Peris, who was in Jerusalem on the weekend, said she was with 11 other Australians, including First Nations people, who had spent the early hours of Friday and much of Saturday in a bomb shelter. 'There have now been three waves of missiles fired directly from Iran, targeting civilians, destroying homes, and causing widespread devastation,' Ms Peris wrote. 'We can't wait to come home. But for now, we're safe, in bomb shelters, we're together, and our hearts are with all those living through this terror.' Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other on Sunday, killing scores of civilians and raising fears of a wider conflict, and US President Donald Trump said it could be ended easily while warning Tehran not to strike any US targets. In Israel, rescue teams combed through rubble of residential buildings destroyed by Iranian missiles, using sniffer dogs and heavy excavators to look for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, raising the two-day toll to 13. Sirens rang out across the country after 4pm on Sunday in the first such daylight alert, and fresh explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv. In Iran, images from the capital showed the night sky lit up by a huge blaze at a fuel depot after Israel began strikes against Iran's oil and gas sector - raising the stakes for the global economy and the functioning of the Iranian state. -with Reuters
Eyewitness News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Parliament's Home Affairs committee edging closer to finalising Immigration Amendment Bill
CAPE TOWN - Parliament's Home Affairs committee is edging closer to finalising an Immigration Amendment Bill that seeks to improve the treatment of foreign nationals suspected of being in the country illegally. On Tuesday, the committee approved an amendment to the bill that will allow those taken into custody to be released pending further investigation. The bill affords foreign nationals the right to be brought before court within 48 hours of an arrest for the purposes of deportation. READ: Cabinet approves bill aimed at regulating movement and employment of foreign nationals In response to public hearings earlier this year appealing for the more humane treatment of women and particularly children detained on suspicion of being in the country illegally, the committee on Tuesday made an amendment to allow for their release. But this will be under strict conditions as the Department of Home Affairs' legal advisor, Advocate Moses Malakate explained, 'The immigration officer must ensure that all the factors that have been listed have been considered, and they will also appear on the release form what has been included in the decision.'
