Home Affairs to introduce biometric system for asylum seekers

The Department of Home Affairs is developing a new biometric online platform aimed at speeding up asylum applications, strengthening identity checks and preventing rejected applicants from repeatedly submitting claims to delay deportation.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the platform is expected to become operational by 10 November 2026 as part of broader efforts to improve the efficiency of South Africa’s asylum system and strengthen immigration law enforcement.

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Address longstanding administrative challenges

Speaking at an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday, Schreiber said the department planned to use technology to address longstanding administrative challenges.

The new platform will require asylum applicants to submit biometric information, allowing Home Affairs to verify their identities and establish whether they have previously submitted applications that were rejected.

It will also enable officials to check the authenticity of passports and other travel documents and identify other recorded infringements.

Schreiber said the reforms would help the department process legitimate applications more efficiently while preventing abuse of the system.

“The ConCourt did not remove our right as Home Affairs to adjudicate a refugee application. If someone doesn’t qualify, it is our job to say you don’t qualify and you must be deported,” he said.

He emphasised that the Constitutional Court judgment of 7 July 2026 dealt with procedural aspects of processing asylum claims and did not automatically grant refugee status or citizenship to foreign nationals.

120 000 asylum appeals outstanding

The planned platform comes as Home Affairs continues to tackle a substantial backlog of asylum appeals.

Schreiber estimated that approximately 120 000 appeals remained outstanding, although he said the department would provide a confirmed figure.

The minister said Home Affairs had achieved turnaround times of around 30 days for initial asylum applications, with the most significant delays occurring during the appeals process.

The department reduced its appeals backlog by approximately 20% during the previous financial year, but Schreiber said further improvements were needed to prevent new applications from creating another backlog.

To increase processing capacity, Home Affairs had brought in 74 advocates to assist with appeals.

Schreiber said the current administration had initially inherited a system in which only nine people were responsible for processing asylum appeals.

The department hopes that additional legal capacity, combined with the new digital platform, will help accelerate decisions and improve the management of applications.

Government seeks clarity on Constitutional Court ruling

Government also intends to approach the Constitutional Court for a supervisory order to obtain guidance on implementing its judgment and addressing the administrative challenges facing Home Affairs.

Schreiber said the department needed to establish how many people would come forward to apply for asylum to plan staffing levels and processing capacity adequately.

The proposed online system is expected to help officials determine the volume of applications they need to manage and plan a phased implementation process.

Meanwhile, the IMC has directed relevant government departments and entities to participate in a hearing scheduled for 29 October 2026 before a panel of judges of the Gauteng Division of the High Court. The hearing will consider conflicting judgments on asylum seekers issued within the division.

Schreiber said Home Affairs would continue adjudicating asylum applications and enforcing immigration law, including deporting applicants whose claims had been finally rejected, subject to applicable legal requirements.

The biometric platform forms part of Government’s efforts to improve the administration of asylum claims while implementing the Constitutional Court judgment within the framework of the law.