Submission to the South African Human Rights Commission on DHA “blocking” identity documents

The South African Human Rights Commission intends to investigate the practice by the Department of Home Affairs of placing markers on holders’ identity documents (“IDs”) at a systemic level – the practice known as “blocking” or “blocked IDs”. Lawyers for Human Rights made written submissions to the Commission explaining how this practice makes the statelessness crisis in South Africa even worse than it already is, and suggested solutions.