Calgary Tribune - Home Affairs Deploys AI to Clear Asylum Backlog Amid Staffing Crisis

The South African Department of Home Affairs has introduced a new digital platform designed to utilize artificial intelligence and biometric technology to overhaul the country’s asylum processing system. The department stated that the initiative is intended to reduce lengthy processing delays, clear a decades-old backlog of appeals, and curb abuse of the asylum framework.

At the start of the current administration, the department revealed it had only nine officials responsible for handling thousands of outstanding asylum appeals. This severe capacity constraint has contributed to significant operational challenges within the refugee reception system.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber highlighted the disparity between workload and staffing levels as a central driver for the technological overhaul. "At the start of the current administration, home affairs had only nine officials to handle thousands of outstanding appeals," Schreiber said. He identified the inordinate delays traditionally associated with asylum applications and appeals as the primary problem the department is working to solve.

Schreiber noted that opportunistic applicants have long exploited the time required to finalize these applications. The new system aims to address this by enabling the swift deportation of the 95% of asylum applicants who are routinely rejected, while ensuring protection for the small minority with genuine needs.

The first phase of the Digital Asylum System is now live for an initial batch of test cases. This phase allows prospective asylum seekers to register their intention to apply for asylum online by submitting personal information, facial biometrics, and supporting documents through the MyHomeAffairsOnline portal. Public registration is expected to begin following the department’s next scheduled software release this coming weekend.

Individuals without access to digital devices or the internet will be able to receive assistance at refugee reception offices. Upon registration, applicants will receive a confirmation receipt acknowledging their intention to seek asylum.

The platform was developed to give effect to a July judgment by the Constitutional Court in the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town matter. The court affirmed that asylum seekers should have their claims assessed on their merits rather than being excluded due to procedural shortcomings. However, this ruling presented an operational challenge for Home Affairs, which subsequently faced increased pressure on its refugee reception system.

Subsequent phases of the project will incorporate advanced machine learning and AI tools to help process applications and appeals. These stages will also introduce appointment scheduling, additional biometric verification, and checks against existing Home Affairs records. The department aims to move toward the full digitalization of asylum applications and appeals over the coming months.

Minister Schreiber stressed that registering an intention to apply for asylum does not automatically grant any immigration status or protection. "Registering an intention to apply for asylum does not confer any status on an applicant and does not constitute a formal asylum application, nor does it automatically grant asylum, refugee status or South African citizenship to anyone," he said. He emphasized that individuals must still follow the formal asylum application process in accordance with South African law.

The department warned that deportations would continue in accordance with the law and clarified that registering an intention to apply does not provide blanket protection against immigration enforcement. "Over the next few months, we will roll out subsequent phases of this project until the time required to adjudicate an asylum application and appeal is dramatically reduced, ensuring protection for the small minority of applicants in genuine need and swift deportation for all failed asylum seekers," Schreiber said.

The launch occurs amid continued public debate regarding the government’s handling of immigration and asylum applications. Anti-immigration groups have raised concerns about the department’s capacity to process claims, verify applicants’ identities, and ensure that rejected asylum seekers are deported. Home Affairs stated that the new system would help strengthen national security while ensuring that people with genuine protection needs could access the asylum process.

M.Stewart--CT