Home Affairs extends deadline for public comments on immigration and refugee protection white paper

The Department of Home Affairs has extended the deadline for submission of public comments on the Draft Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection (“Draft Revised White Paper”) from January 31, 2026 to  February 15, 2026.

The department, last month, invited members of the public to submit comments on the Draft Revised White Paper, stating that public consultation is a critical component of the policy development process.

“In order to maximise public participation and inclusivity following the Festive Season, the Department has now extended the deadline to 15 February 2026. Since the publication of the Draft Revised White Paper, the department has received valuable written submissions from members of the public and key stakeholders,” the government notice stated.

The department is also hosting a series of provincial public engagement sessions, as well as a national public consultation, from January 15 to 30, 2026.

Key reforms proposed in the Draft Revised White Paper include: 

• Refugee management reforms The refinement and implementation of the “First Safe Country Principle,” which states that asylum seekers who have been granted refugee status or lawful protection in another country, or who pass through safe third countries to reach South Africa, are ineligible for asylum in South Africa. This is designed to combat the phenomenon of applicants “picking and choosing” South Africa as their preferred destination to claim asylum, while passing through other safe countries on the way. 
• Citizenship reforms These reforms introduce merit-based criteria for naturalisation and an annual window period for the submission of applications to prevent backlogs, a Citizenship Advisory Panel (CAP) to objectively consider and advise on applications, and a point-based system for economic pathways to citizenship. 

• Immigration reforms:  Reforms to the immigration system are designed to ensure alignment of the visa system with the recommendations of OV and to the Department’s digital transformation agenda. This includes the introduction of new visa categories for remote-work, start-ups, skilled workers (which combines the existing critical skills and general work visas into one category), sports and culture, and the replacement of corporate visas with sectoral work visas for specific industries.  

The Draft Revised White Paper, together with the questionnaire, can be downloaded from the Department’s website (www.dha.gov.za).

Comments may be submitted in writing until February, 15 2026 via email: Whitepaper@dha.gov.za or post it to The Director-General, Department of Home Affairs, Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001

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