Johannesburg – The Department of Home Affairs has announced the launch of its new digital platform to “record intentions to apply for asylum”.
The department said the move extends implementation of its digital transformation vision to the asylum seeker and refugee domain.
In a statement made available to The Bulrushes on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, the department explained that the portal constitutes the first phase of a project to build a new end-to-end Digital Asylum System.
The department said the new system eliminates the scope for corruption and associated abuses while reducing turnaround times.
The statement said the system is “now live for a first batch of test cases and will begin public intake following the department’s next scheduled routine software release this coming weekend”.
The statement emphasised that the new platform implements the Constitutional Court judgment of 7 July 2026 in a sustainable way that enhances national security and protects Home Affairs’ capacity.
“The portal enables individuals seeking asylum to record their intention to apply digitally, while requiring them to upload facial biometrics, personal information, and supporting documents,” the statement added.
“In the rollout of subsequent phases of the new system, it will incorporate advanced machine learning and AI tools to enable the department to clear the decades-old asylum appeals backlog and dramatically reduce the time it takes to process new asylum applications and appeals, enabling swift deportation of the 95% of asylum applicants who are routinely rejected.
“At this stage, the platform only records an individual’s intention to apply for asylum.”
The department said the new system will enable it to understand the anticipated application volumes, allocate capacity, and plan accordingly as it implements the subsequent phases of this project.
“Importantly, 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,” the department said.
“Individuals will still be required to follow the formal asylum application process in accordance with South African law.”
The department said he rollout of the first phase of the new Digital Asylum System builds on Home Affairs’ accelerating broader digital transformation programme, which already includes the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system that is digitally transforming South Africa’s immigration system by strengthening security and reducing opportunities for fraud and corruption.
Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber said: “The end-to-end digitalisation of the asylum seeker process presents a major opportunity to finally end the long-standing abuse of this system.
“The central problem we are working to solve is the inordinate delays traditionally associated with the asylum application and appeals processes.
“Opportunistic applicants have long abused the length of time it takes to finalise these applications.
“These delays were caused by a chronic shortage of funding and personnel over many years.”
The minister said that at the start of the current administration, Home Affairs had only nine officials to handle thousands of outstanding appeals.
“But we are systematically working to overcome these capacity constraints by harnessing cutting-edge biometric, machine learning, and AI technology, in line with our overall vision for digital transformation,” Minister Schreiber said.
“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.”
How the online asylum registration process will work:
• Online registration: Individuals can register their intention to apply for asylum through Myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za by providing personal information and capturing biometrics.
• Confirmation of intention: Applicants will receive a receipt confirming their declared intention to seek asylum. This does not constitute a formal asylum application or grant any status to anyone.
• Assisted registration: Individuals without access to digital devices or the internet can receive assistance at Refugee Reception Offices (RROs).
• Further improvements: The platform will be expanded in phases to include appointment scheduling, additional biometric verification and checks against existing Home Affairs records, as well as full digitalisation to ensure rapid adjudication of all applications and appeals.
• Immigration enforcement: Deportations will continue in accordance with the law. Registering an intention to apply for asylum does not provide blanket protection against immigration enforcement.
