The government plans to launch a biometric digital asylum platform on November 10, 2026, to improve application processing and strengthen enforcement.
The new system forms part of the Department of Home Affairs’ wider effort to overhaul its systems, including modernising identity services.
Minister Dr Leon Schreiber says the platform will help officials identify rejected applicants, detect irregularities and verify travel documents.
According to a government statement, the rollout follows a recent Constitutional Court judgment concerning asylum application procedures.
What the new asylum platform will do
The platform aims to give officials a clearer picture of each applicant before they process a claim.
Schreiber says it will flag previous asylum rejections and other recorded infringements.
“We will have the capability through the system to check whether you previously had a case that you lodged, which was rejected for asylum,” he said.
Officials will also be able to verify the authenticity of passports and other travel documents uploaded to the system.
“We’ll be able to check whether there are other infringements on your record, and where you upload things like a passport or travel documents, we can now use technology to also verify the authenticity of those,” he added.
How digital asylum registration will work
Applicants will use an online portal to enter their personal details and submit biometric data. The system will then cross-check their information automatically.
People without internet-enabled devices will be able to access assisted registration at designated sites.
After registering, each applicant will receive a digital receipt containing a reference number and an appointment date.
The receipt is not a Section 22 permit and does not confer refugee status.
A Section 22 permit is normally valid for up to six months and legalises an asylum seeker’s temporary stay in South Africa while their application is being considered.
The digital receipt, by contrast, serves as proof of an intention to apply and is intended to protect the holder against arbitrary arrest, detention or deportation while awaiting the appointment.
Applicants must attend a Refugee Reception Office for an interview with a Refugee Status Determination Officer, who will assess the claim.
Anyone who misses the appointment without an approved extension will lose the digital application.
How the system could curb repeat asylum claims
The government wants the platform to prevent rejected applicants from repeatedly submitting new claims to delay the process.
Schreiber referred to a Constitutional Court judgment that, according to the government, confirms that applicants cannot use endless repeat applications to frustrate asylum procedures.
The system will also strengthen enforcement against rejected cases.
“The information and data management upgrades that we are now making is also going to help us with enforcement on cases that are rejected,” Schreiber said.
He linked the initiative to the biometric technology used by the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.
“If you are a chance taker, you’re going to be using this platform with the power of biometric technology,” he said, describing the system as an opportunity to address cases in which “people are invisible to law enforcement.”
The platform will operate within the framework of the Refugees Act, which governs protection for people fleeing persecution and other serious dangers.
The law also recognises non-refoulement, the principle that prohibits returning people to places where they face serious harm.
The government is separately seeking court guidance on its asylum detention powers while applications are being processed.
