The Department of Home Affairs has issued a statement saying that domestic and foreign nationals travelling to and from South Africa with children under the age of 18 are complying with the new child travel regulations
According to Home Affairs’ data systems records for arrivals and departures for June, 132 353 children were processed.
“Of these, 1 878 were recorded as having not met requirements, placing compliance levels at 98%,” said the statement, issued on Wednesday, July 5.
Arrivals of foreign children for June was 57 436, with departures at 74 917.
Compliance for July was more than 99%, with 128 839 foreign children arriving in South Africa and 87 420 departing, according to the statement.
The DHA noted a slight increase in travellers from Europe and America in July compared with the same month last year, as well as a slight decline in travellers in June, compared with the previous year.
“There is no evidence conclusively to say that since new immigration regulations took effect, there’s been a sharp decline in numbers of foreign travellers arriving in South Africa and that jobs had been lost,” said the statement.
Under the new regulations, children are required to travel with an unabridged birth certificate, or the equivalent thereof. In cases where children travel with only one parent, consent in the form of a written affidavit from the other parent is required. However, immigration officials at OR Tambo have asked parents travelling without the other parent to produce a copy of that parent’s passport, despite the new immigration regulations not requiring this.
