Eswatini is moving to overhaul its immigration laws with the government seeking to fast-track the Immigration Bill 2025.
This is amid growing concerns over delays, payment failures and other challenges affecting visitors entering the country.
The proposed legislation is intended to replace the Immigration Act No. 17 of 1982.
Ministry of Home Affairs Principal Immigration Officer Gezani Mkhonta said the 1982 Act was increasingly outdated and no longer adequately addressed the country’s current immigration needs.
Mkhonta said government had made the Bill a priority and wanted it enacted before Parliament rises for its recess later this year.
The Immigration Bill 2025 is currently undergoing parliamentary consultations and stakeholder reviews, including joint sessions involving the House of Assembly portfolio committee and stakeholders working in the immigration and border-management sectors.
Mkhonta said these consultations were intended to address enforcement challenges as well as realities experienced by communities and officials at the country’s borders.
He said the proposed legislation would introduce a number of significant changes, including provisions allowing immigration officers to carry firearms and detain people who commit offences under the Act.
The Bill is also being aligned with wider national migration policies and the work of the Migration Management Task Force.
He said among the reforms under consideration are digital screening systems and provisions relating to residence by investment, developed in consultation with the ministry of commerce, industry and trade.
He added that the proposed framework would also provide for a range of immigration categories, including permanent residence for strategic investors, asylum-related provisions, and export and import visas.
“A visitor system that frustrates the very visitors we are courting is a contradiction that we cannot sustain, and government is committed to resolving it with urgency and not indefinite patience. It is important to inform you that the government has actually prioritised this Bill. Actually, we are behind schedule in getting the legislation enacted. We would have loved it to be law by now,” Mkhonta said.
He said the push to modernise the country’s immigration framework comes as the country seeks to strengthen migration management while making it easier for legitimate visitors, investors and other travellers to enter the country.
The late minister had also wanted the Bill to move through Parliament as quickly as possible.
Mkhonta expressed confidence that progress would be made in the coming weeks.
“We have prioritised it and we would like it to be passed before Parliament goes to recess this year. It is a priority,” stated Mkhonta.
He further acknowledged that the country’s electronic visa platform introduced to modernise the immigration process has experienced operational difficulties.
The platform allows applicants to submit applications electronically and track their progress from home. However, he said industry stakeholders have raised concerns over reliability, payment processing and processing times.
The problems have reportedly been particularly noticeable during peak periods, including the annual Umhlanga Ceremony, when the country receives increased numbers of visitors.
He said the visa portal was still at the piloting stage and that the ministry was working to address the challenges.
He noted that the country did not currently have an Electronic Travel Authorisation system, but an alternative arrangement could provide responses to applications within 24 hours.
“Our e-visa platform has done much to modernise how our visitors reach us, but government is aware because industry has told us plainly that reliability, payment processing, and turnaround times have not always matched the ambition behind the system.
“We hear the concerns raised about processing delays, especially around peak periods such as Umhlanga, about payment failures and about the absence of manual fall-back while the platform is being refined,” further stated Mkhonta.
