Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance welcomes the commitment of Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, to the digital transformation of the Department of Home Affairs to safeguard our National Security.
Today the Parliamentary Portfolio on Home Affairs was briefed on the manual processes that led to the irregular award of study visas to Libyan nationals who have since been deported. A lack of digital and integrated systems has plagued Home Affairs, which results in the release of hundreds of undocumented foreign nationals due to not being able to provide proof of their immigration status to courts within the required 48 hours. In a 2022 report to Parliament, the Lubisi Report highlighted that “ongoing and protracted delays in finalising the modernising of systems and the non-decommissioning of old systems has created the opportunity for fraudulent issuing of permits.”
As Home Affairs is currently only staffed to 40% of what is required for the Department, the proposed use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to detect fraudulent applications is a step in the right direction. An OECD Report on the use of AI in the public sector shows that AI can free up nearly one-third of officials’ time in just the next few years, helping shift officials’ efforts from mundane tasks to high-value work and in this case providing an impartial assessment on the validity of documents.
The DA will engage with National Treasury, through the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, to secure the necessary funding for this digital transformation program, which is crucial for enhancing our national security.
Regards
Adrian Roos MP
DA Spokesperson on Home Affairs
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