Question NW3797 to the Minister of Home Affairs
11 December 2017 - NW3797
Hoosen, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What is the current arrangement between (a) her department, (b) the National Treasury and (c) the Auditor-General in terms of resolving the (i) immigration control account and (ii) outstanding repatriation deposits?
Reply:
(a-c)(i-ii) Further to the promulgation of the Immigration Regulation during 2014, which changed the collection of repatriation deposits from travellers to RSA, the Department approached National Treasury requesting it to allow the Department to recognise all unclaimed repatriation deposits as revenue in its financial statements, to surrender all unclaimed repatriation deposits to the National Revenue Fund (NRF) and to close the Immigration Control Account.
In order to address the concerns raised by Auditor General in this regard, the Department issued a Government Gazette notifying all travellers that they will forfeit their repatriation deposits if not claimed by 31 March 2016. During the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years, the Department performed a reconciliation of the Immigration Control Account and paid over R441, 773 million to the NRF, R69 million to DIRCO and R8,5 million to qualifying travellers. This left the Immigration Control Account with a balance of R2,172 million as at 31 March 2017 – this amount constitutes refunds (un-cashed cheques) due to qualifying travellers.
Based on the above background that outlines the arrangement with National Treasury and the Auditor General, the Immigration Control Account is closed and all unclaimed repatriation deposits are forfeited and surrendered to the NRF.