In South Africa, Missionaries Struggle to Obtain Work Permits
Foreign missionaries in South Africa are facing increasing difficulties in obtaining long-term visitor's visas, which function as work permits, a trend potentially linked to rising anti-migrant sentiment. The South African Department of Home Affairs imposes strict and costly conditions, including specific recommendation letters and restrictions on converting visa status to permanent residency.
Why it matters
This situation highlights the challenges faced by religious organizations in maintaining international staff and the broader implications of tightening immigration policies on specific sectors, reflecting national sentiment towards migrants.
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Foreign missionaries in South Africa have lately faced greater challenges in getting long-term visitor’s visas, a class of work permit visa for religious workers. Some connect this trend with rising hostility to migrants from poorer African countries across the nation, which resulted in violent crackdowns across the nation in recent months.
A senior Anglican Church official in South Africa, whose name is withheld for security reasons, confirmed that getting permits is a major hurdle.
“The one long-term challenge the Church in Southern Africa has experienced is difficulty in securing South African work permits for church workers from outside the country,” the official said.
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