Question NW83 to the Minister of Home Affairs
29 April 2024 - NW83
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What (a) total number of court orders on visa matters brought by law firms and immigration practitioners on behalf of their clients have currently not been complied with within the court ordered deadline, (b) is the plan to remedy the backlog and (c) process has been put in place to ensure that (i) his department is aware of court orders against it and (ii) court orders are complied with within the court ordered timeframe?
Reply:
(a&b) The total number is zero as of 15 March 2024. However, there are 110 outstanding class action cases and processes have already commenced on the finalisation of these 110 cases well before their deadlines. The department has a zero-tolerance approach to non-compliance court orders. The Minister has instructed officials to ensure all court orders issued are finalised within 7 days before the stipulated deadline to implement the order. All Deputy Director Generals account for pending court orders at bi-weekly meetings and directly to the Minister every month.
(c) The Department has a system where the data is received and captured to monitor all letters of demand, mandamus applications as well as Court orders. A dedicated team has been set up between the Legal and Immigration Services units to focus exclusively on court matters.
END